India engages US over stricter visa rules affecting Indian students, visitors

India said it is engaging US authorities after new visa rules restrict stays for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists

New Delhi: India said on Friday that it is engaging with US authorities to minimise difficulties faced by Indian nationals over American visa policies after the Trump administration unveiled stricter rules that will bar foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists from remaining in the country indefinitely.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that it will begin implementing stricter rules from September to prevent foreign students from staying in the country for more than four years unless they get permission from the federal government.

“We've seen some reports regarding the visa rules…Visa rules and visa functions and immigration matters are sovereign functions of any state,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing when he was asked about the changes outlined by the US Department of Homeland Security.

“But having said that, let me tell you that as and when there are issues of difficulties, which are brought to our attention, in regard to genuine travellers [and] students, among others, who seek support from the US, we take [up] those issues with the US side so as to minimise the difficulties that our people face,” he said without going into details.

The tightening of visa rules for foreign students and exchange visitors will end a decades-old policy that allowed them to stay in the US indefinitely, and the move is expected to affect a large number of Indian nationals. The US will also limit the ability of students to switch programmes and transfer between universities. Under the existing rules, higher education institutions have the power to grant visa extensions.

The changes are aimed at combating “rampant visa abuse” and strengthening national security through regular vetting, the US Department of Homeland Security said. Foreign students on F-1 visas and J-1 exchange visas were admitted under “duration of status”, which meant they could stay in the US for as long as it took to complete their degrees. However, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin claimed this allowed “thousands to abuse our immigration system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave the US”.

Jaiswal responded to a separate question on US senators from the Republican and Democratic parties unveiling a bill that seeks to use tariffs to pressure China and India to reduce their dependence on Russian energy by saying that New Delhi is “closely following these developments”.

He said: “We are aware of the proposed legislation. That is what I have to say.”

India has maintained that its decisions regarding energy purchases are driven by market conditions and the need to ensure the energy security of the country’s population of 1.4 billion. Russia has emerged as one of the largest suppliers of crude oil over the past four years despite punitive measures imposed by the US.

The new version of the bill unveiled by US senators this week envisages a 100% tariff on the top five third-party buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.

Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music.