Latest news with #visaapplications
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
New policy on visas adds to mounting scrutiny of international students in the US
New State Department guidance on visa applications is adding to scrutiny of international students that has intensified under President Donald Trump, who has leveraged control of foreign enrollment to press his demands with American colleges. In a cable sent Tuesday to U.S. embassies and consulates Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students until the department releases guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media. Existing appointments may be kept and will proceed under current review guidelines, the cable said, but new guidance is expected in the coming days. It came days after the Trump administration moved to block Harvard University from enrolling any international students, a decision that has been put on hold by a federal judge, pending a lawsuit. Trump said Wednesday that Harvard, whose current student population is made up of more than a quarter of international students, should limit that percentage to about 15%. 'I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and tried to deport students who had been involved in campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. And the Trump administration abruptly terminated the legal status of thousands of international students before reversing itself and then expanding the grounds on which students can lose permission to study in the U.S. The uncertainty raised by the suspension of the visa appointments will do further damage to the U.S. reputation as a destination country, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association that represents international educators. Students generally commit to their program of study in late spring, meaning now would be peak time for students to schedule their visa interviews. 'International students and scholars are tremendous assets that contribute to U.S. preeminence in innovation, research, and economic strength,' Aw said in a statement. 'Undermining their ability to study here is self-defeating. With these actions, the United States will alienate the very minds that fuel its success.' The pause affects three categories of visas that cover a range of people seeking to study in the U.S. The largest category, F-1 visas, includes students who are enrolling at full-time accredited schools. Students participating in exchange programs enter on J-1 visas, and those enrolling in vocational or non-academic programs enter on M-1 visas. The bulk of visa recipients are university students. However, visiting scholars, high school exchange students, summer program participants and boarding school students are also covered by the three affected visa categories. Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, and their ability to pay tuition often factors into whether they will be admitted to American schools. Often, they pay full price. Visa applicants have been required to provide social media handles to the State Department since 2019. The cable did not indicate what kind of additional scrutiny the new guidelines would cover, but suggested the new reviews may be more resource-intensive. 'In light of potentially significant implications for consular section operations, processes, and resource allocations, consulate sections will need to take into consideration the workload and resource requirements of each case prior to scheduling them going forward,' the cable said. The additional vetting will deter students from coming to the U.S., said Jonathan Friedman of PEN America, a literary and free expression organization. 'The details remain vague, but this policy risks upending the long-standing place of the U.S. as a beacon for intellectual and cultural exchange with the world,' Friedman said. The move to cut off international enrollment at Harvard stems from a dispute with the Department of Homeland Security, which has demanded that it provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Harvard says it complied with the records request, but the agency said its response fell short. On Wednesday, Trump said more scrutiny of Harvard's students is necessary. 'They're taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalized, and we don't want them making trouble in our country,' Trump said. The Trump administration has cut over $2.6 billion in federal grants for Harvard as it presses demands for changes to policies and governance at the Ivy League school, which the president has described as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard has pushed back and filed a lawsuit against the administration. ___ Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Arabian Business
20-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
World's largest visa application opens in Dubai with 10,000-per-day capacity
The world's largest visa application facility has opened in Dubai and is capable of handling 10,000 visa applications a day. VFS Global launched its flagship Visa Application Centre in Wafi City, marking the opening of the largest visa application facility in the world. At nearly 150,000sq ft, the centre is equipped to handle up to 10,000 visa applications daily, a capacity that stands as the highest for any single location, and is supported by a skilled and diverse team of over 400 trained professionals from more than 25 nationalities. Dubai visa application centre Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of the Department of Economy and Tourism said: 'This milestone is more than an infrastructure achievement, it reflects the strategic direction Dubai is taking to enhance global mobility, unlock access to opportunity, and accelerate growth across our visitor and business economy. 'As we advance the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, strengthening seamless access to and from Dubai remains a priority. 'Visa facilitation is a key enabler of talent attraction, tourism development, and international partnerships, all essential levers of our strategy to position Dubai as the world's most connected and future-ready city.' Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs, said: 'Today, we witnessed the inauguration of a new milestone in the journey of excellence pursued by the UAE in general and Dubai in particular, with the opening of the world's largest Visa Application Centre, located in the heart of Dubai, a city that continuously redefines innovation. 'This achievement embodies a true reflection of the directives of our wise leadership towards strengthening the nation's position as a global hub for smart services and establishing a unique model for delivering government services with high efficiency and quality.' Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VFS Global Group, said: 'Operating in the UAE since 2004, our journey has been defined by our unwavering commitment and a deep-rooted connection with this dynamic nation and its visionary leadership. 'In these two decades, we have witnessed the spectacular growth and development of the UAE to become a preeminent global hub of business, thought leadership, technology development and innovation. 'In line with the rapid development of Dubai, today we are pleased to launch the world's largest Visa Application Centre, serving over 200 nationalities.'
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
India consular delays caused by errors related to application payments
Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan has rebuffed criticism on social media regarding delays in consular services provided by the Indian mission in Wellington and the new consulate general in Auckland . Kiwi Indians have been increasingly critical on social media of delays they have encountered in receiving consular services such as passport renewals and visa applications in recent months, especially if refunds were involved. Speaking at an event in Auckland on Friday to welcome Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Bhushan said many applicants in the top of the North Island were mistakenly sending fees accompanying their applications to Wellington. "We are facing a major problem in providing timely and efficient services," Bhushan said. "There are a large number of applicants living in Northland, Auckland and Waikato who should send their applications along with the relevant fees to the consulate general in Auckland, but they are not doing that. "While they send their applications to the consulate in Auckland, they send the fees to the Wellington mission. "Later they realise their mistake and ask for refunds. ... We have no problem in doing that - it's our duty - but it delays the entire process. Neeta Bhushan is India's high commissioner to New Zealand. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom Bhushan said about half of her staff's time was being spent on processing refunds. "In the last month alone, we have refunded about $100,000 to applicants. If you add the last three [or] four months, the amount of refunds we have issued would cross $400,000," she said. "More than that, we are not able to provide timely services to those applicants." As reported earlier, the Indian consulate in Auckland offers services related to passports, Indian citizenship, attestation of documents, police certificates, birth and death certificates, liquor permits and non-resident Indian certificates, among other things. It also issues necessary certificates for the repatriation of deceased individuals' remains or ashes to India. The consulate's jurisdiction covers Auckland, Northland and Waikato. Madan Mohan Sethi, consulate general of India in Auckland, said the situation would improve once his office was fully staffed in a few months. "All efforts are being made to streamline the processes at our end," Sethi said. "We aim to start providing all consular services here in Auckland soon, including OCI [Overseas Citizen of India] and visa services." Pabitra Margherita is India's minister of state for external affairs. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom Margherita told attendees at the community event on Friday that he was delighted to see the Indian community's positive contributions to New Zealand. "It is heartening to see that our community here has been an integral part of the social fabric of this beautiful country," he said. "Your dedication and hard work have not only uplifted you and your families but also have added immense value to broader New Zealand society," he said. "India and New Zealand share a deep, multifaceted and friendly relationship." The Indian minister met Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Trade Minister Todd McClay during his three-day visit. He also spoke with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the sidelines of a summit organised by the India New Zealand Business Council on Friday morning . The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided some detail on the talks between Peters and Margherita in a social media post on Friday. The two ministers discussed the progress made in the India-New Zealand relationship across a wide range of sectors, including a "broad-based agenda for bilateral security and economic cooperation", the ministry said. "[They discussed] achieving a mutually beneficial outcome to free trade agreement negotiations, our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific, the terrorist attack in Kashmir and New Zealand's support for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, and the Pacific Islands region."
