The Indian government has responded to the United States’ decision to tighten student visa regulations, saying visa and immigration policies are the sovereign right of every nation while assuring support for Indian students facing genuine difficulties.
Speaking during the weekly media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had noted reports about the changes announced by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He stressed that visa-related matters fall within the sovereign jurisdiction of individual countries.
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“However, whenever issues concerning genuine travellers, students or others are brought to our attention, we take them up with the US authorities to minimise the difficulties faced by our people,” Jaiswal said.
The DHS recently announced that from September, foreign students will generally be allowed to remain in the US for a maximum of four years unless they receive permission from federal authorities for an extension. The move replaces the long-standing “duration of status” policy, under which F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors could remain in the country until they completed their academic programmes.
Under the revised system, universities will no longer have the authority to extend a student’s stay independently. The changes will also limit programme changes and transfers between institutions.
The US government said the new regulations are intended to curb visa misuse and strengthen national security through regular monitoring. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin argued that the previous policy had enabled some foreign nationals to remain in the country indefinitely by continuously enrolling in courses.
Responding to another question, Jaiswal said India is also monitoring a proposed bipartisan US bill that seeks to impose tariffs on countries, including India and China, for continuing large-scale purchases of Russian energy. He reiterated only that New Delhi was aware of the proposed legislation and was closely following developments.
