Latest news with #LubnaKably
Economic Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
358 international students regain SEVIS status in a significant settlement with DHS
In a legal development, 358 international students, many of them Indian nationals, have successfully secured the restoration of their SEVIS registration following a court-approved settlement with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to a report by Lubna Kably in the Times of India . The US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia approved the stipulations presented by the students. Their SEVIS records will now reflect 'active' status retroactively, with no gaps in immigration status. This move ensures that the termination of their student status is treated as though it never occurred. The decision also extends to the F-2 dependents of these F-1 visa holders. Spouses and children of the affected students will receive identical protections and restorations under the settlement. As per Lubna's report, a major concern raised by the students was the impact of the termination on work authorizations such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Under the agreement, the original end dates of their training programs will be reinstated, and any unemployment days caused by the termination will be removed from official records. This measure is crucial, as exceeding 90 days of unemployment during OPT can jeopardize an international student's visa status. Additionally, the agreement bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using the same National Crime and Information Center (NCIC) records that led to the original terminations, records that often reflected only minor infractions like traffic or parking settlement also neutralises any potential impact the SEVIS terminations could have had on the students' future immigration filings. It guarantees that the terminations alone will not be used negatively in any future application processes. The students were represented by a coalition of law firms under the IMMPACT Litigation network—Bless Litigation, Joseph and Hall, Kuck Baxter, and Siskind Susser. Speaking to The Times of India , immigration attorney Charles Kuck said, 'This settlement gives us more than we believe we could have obtained from a federal court judge's order and are grateful to restore our 358 plaintiffs to their proper F-1 status, without interruption. We look forward to moving against Department of State in a separate legation to restore the unlawfully revoked visas to the international students.' (With inputs from TOI)
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Indian students made up one in four international students in US in 2024: ICE report
Indian students accounted for nearly 27% of all international students in the United States in 2024, according to the latest report by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The report, titled SEVIS by the Numbers 2024, shows that 4.2 lakh Indian students were actively enrolled in the US, marking an 11.8% increase from 2023. This growth helped push the total number of foreign students in the US to 15.8 lakh — a 5.3% rise over the previous year. As per a report by Lubna Kably in the Times of India, the data comes from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a tool used by the US Department of Homeland Security to track foreign students. F-1 visas are issued for academic programs, while M-1 visas are used for vocational training. Asia remained the largest source region, with nearly 11 lakh students — making up 72% of the total foreign student population. India and China were the two top source countries. While Indian student numbers rose sharply, China saw a slight decline of 0.25%, with 3.2 lakh students in 2024. The ICE report highlights that more than 90% of foreign students — about 14.3 lakh — were enrolled in higher education degree programs. California and New York were the top destinations for international students, hosting 2.37 lakh and 1.72 lakh students respectively. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) However, new data for the March 2024 to March 2025 period suggests a sharp reversal in trend. Chris R. Glass, a professor at Boston College, studied SEVIS data and reported an 11.3% drop in total active international student records. The number fell from 11.53 lakh in March 2024 to 10.22 lakh in March 2025. Live Events You Might Also Like: Columbia Crisis: Trump's crackdown sends chill through Indian students Indian student numbers dropped significantly by 28%, from 3.54 lakh to 2.55 lakh. In contrast, Chinese student numbers rose slightly to 2.63 lakh, an increase of 3.28%. Glass said, 'The current year-over-year decline is a reflection of an enrollment cycle that began under the Biden administration, so the March 2025 numbers have yet to reflect any impacts of policies implemented under the second Trump administration.' Experts point to several reasons for the recent fall in Indian student numbers — including the arbitrary termination of F-1 visas and SEVIS records, legal uncertainties, delays in consular services due to planned social media scrutiny rules, doubts about the continuation of the STEM-OPT program, and widespread layoffs in the US job market. These factors could push student numbers further down in 2026. Despite recent declines, Indian students continue to lead in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. In 2024, nearly 1.65 lakh international students received a two-year STEM OPT extension after graduation. Of these, 48% were Indian students and 20.4% were Chinese. You Might Also Like: UK tightens student visa rules: Shorter stays, stricter checks, fewer perks The number of OPT students overall also increased. About 1.94 lakh international students in 2024 had employment authorization and were working in the US under the OPT program, a 21.1% rise from 2023. These figures reflect both the growing interest of Indian students in the US and the challenges they now face amid changing visa policies and immigration uncertainties. You Might Also Like: Indian students look beyond the 'Big 4' for study-abroad dreams
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian students among those hit as Canada clamps down on dummy visa extensions
To prevent misuse of visa extensions, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has changed rules around 'maintained status' for temporary residents. The update targets the growing trend of 'dummy extension' applications submitted to prolong legal stay in Canada without genuine eligibility, according to a report by Lubna Kably in the Times of India. Under the new guidelines, if a temporary resident submits a second application for an extension while already on maintained status, and the first application is later rejected, the second application will not preserve their legal stay. It will be returned and denied. Earlier, such second applications could help maintain legal status, though without allowing work or study rights. 'Under the revised guidelines, if a temporary resident with 'maintained status' submits a second application to extend their stay and their initial application is rejected, the second application will not preserve their legal status in Canada. Instead, it will be denied and returned,' said Kubeir Kamal, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant to TOI. 'This represents a change from prior rules, where a second application could still uphold legal residency, despite a first refusal, though it did not permit work or study rights.' Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 5 Dividend Stocks for May 2025 Seeking Alpha Read Now Undo As per Lubna's report, maintained status, earlier known as implied status, allows a foreign national to stay in Canada legally under the same conditions of their expired permit, provided they applied for an extension before the original permit expired. The revised policy responds to concerns about applicants submitting ineligible extensions only to extend their stay temporarily through maintained status. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Kamal noted that many temporary residents, including students and workers, used this route to buy time after submitting an initial extension that had little chance of approval. The new rules close this loophole. Live Events You Might Also Like: Indian diaspora to benefit as Canada proposes expansion of citizenship by descent Manish Kapoor, another regulated immigration consultant, explained the rule's impact to TOI, 'With nearly half a million work permits expiring in 2025 and with the stringent policies and rules changing every other day, it has become extremely difficult for the temporary residents to maintain their legal status in Canada. This new rule has added fuel to the fire, as it indirectly discourages submitting multiple applications for extension.' Kapoor pointed out that the policy shift is part of the government's effort to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada to five per cent of the total population by 2027. At present, temporary residents make up 7.3 per cent of the country's 41.5 million people. The new guidelines are expected to affect Indian nationals and international students the most, as they form a large share of Canada's temporary resident population. You Might Also Like: Canada's new bill to grant citizenship to thousands of people
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian diaspora to benefit as Canada proposes expansion of citizenship by descent
In a significant move expected to benefit the Indian diaspora and other immigrant communities, the Canadian government has introduced a new bill to remove the existing limit on citizenship by descent. The legislation, titled Bill C-3, was presented in Parliament on Thursday by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, as per a report by Lubna Kably in the Times of India. The current rule, introduced in 2009, restricts Canadian citizenship by descent to only the first generation born outside Canada. This means that a Canadian citizen who was themselves born outside Canada could not pass on their citizenship to a child born abroad. Similarly, they could not apply for direct citizenship for a child adopted overseas. The proposed bill aims to change this. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC ), 'As a result of the first-generation limit to citizenship by descent for individuals born abroad, most Canadian citizens who are citizens by descent cannot pass on citizenship to their child born or adopted outside Canada. The current first-generation limit to citizenship no longer reflects how Canadian families live today—here at home and around the world—and the values that define our country.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Infertile Man Visits Orphanage And Hears, 'Hi Daddy.' Then He Realizes His Late Wife's Cruel Lies Crowdy Fan Undo As per Lubna's report in TOI, the issue has drawn legal scrutiny in recent years. In January 2024, a Canadian court ruled the first-generation limit unconstitutional. The government chose not to appeal the ruling. Although similar legislation was proposed in March 2024 by then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller, it did not pass, prompting its reintroduction this week. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) If passed, Bill C-3 would automatically grant citizenship to individuals who would have been eligible if not for the earlier restrictions. It also proposes a new system under which Canadian parents born abroad can pass on citizenship to their foreign-born children—provided the parent has lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days (or three years) before the child's birth or adoption. Live Events You Might Also Like: Canada's new bill to grant citizenship to thousands of people Ken Nickel-Lane, managing director of an immigration services firm, said to The Times of India, 'While Bill C-3 certainly addresses and rectifies a fault, or faults in the current Citizenship Act which certainly is warranted and just, it may face challenges given current public opinion towards immigration.' He added that the bill might put pressure on immigration quotas, potentially affecting temporary foreign workers critical to infrastructure and housing development. The IRCC has confirmed that, 'If the bill passes both Houses of Parliament and receives Royal Assent, we will work as quickly as possible to bring the changes into effect.' For many Indian-origin Canadians with children or adopted children born outside Canada, the bill—if passed—will mark a major shift in access to citizenship and legal status. You Might Also Like: Canada's first Express Entry draw under new Immigration Minister invites 277 applications
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Canadian Citizenship Week 2024: Indians top the list as largest new citizens group
Canada began its annual Citizenship Week on May 26, running until June 1, with a focus on celebrating the country's diverse population and the shared values of Canadian citizenship . In 2024, Canada granted citizenship to 3.74 lakh individuals, with Indian nationals forming the largest group—accounting for 23% of the total, according to a report by Lubna Kably in The Times of India. Though the total number of new citizens dropped slightly from around 3.80 lakh in 2023, the number of Indians gaining citizenship increased significantly—from 78,714 in 2023 to 87,812 in 2024. Lena Metlege Diab, Canada's immigration minister told Lubna, 'Each year, Citizenship Week offers our country an occasion to reflect on the meaning of citizenship. Canada is a mosaic that includes Canadians of all backgrounds and cultures, and that holds at its centre the histories of Indigenous Peoples and our commitment to reconciliation. This week, and every week, we embrace the shared rights and responsibilities that come with Canadian citizenship and remember the common values that define us as Canadians. We also take this moment to recognize that our diversity is our strength and to collectively recommit to building a better future for all who live here.' She added, 'It takes incredible courage to face the challenges and uncertainty of a new place, and to seek better opportunities and security for one's family. As Canadians, it is our responsibility to continue to highlight the value that immigration brings to Canada, and to protect the inherent rights and dignity of those who seek to call it home. I encourage people across the country to attend one of the many citizenship ceremonies open to the public this week. Being part of this important milestone in someone's life is an honour and a privilege.' (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) As per the TOI report, even as Citizenship Week is being celebrated, the federal government has confirmed it will stay with reduced immigration targets. The current immigration levels plan has set lower figures for both permanent and temporary residents, including international students. Live Events You Might Also Like: Canada rejects Trump's free offer to join Golden Dome missile defense as 51st US State For permanent residents—who have a pathway to citizenship—the government plans to admit 3.95 lakh in 2025, 3.80 lakh in 2026, and 3.65 lakh in 2027. In 2024, India remained the top source country, with 1.27 lakh Indians becoming permanent residents. This marked a nearly 9% decline from the previous year. Country of Birth 2024 (% of total) 2023 (% of total) 2022 (% of total) India 87,812 (23.4%) 78,714 (20.7%) 59,580 (15.8%) Philippines 37,843 (10%) 36,871 (9.7%) 41,586 (11%) China 14,134 (3.7%) 12,621 (3.3%) 10,821 (2.9%) Total New Citizens 3,74,832 3,79,957 3,75,610 You Might Also Like: Canada sees sharp drop in Indian student permits as visa rules tighten Canada: PM Carney outlines immigration priorities in new mandate letter
