The Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) has obtained a number of representations from Indian college students and their households, flagging problem in acquiring U.S. pupil visa appointments after American authorities introduced an expanded screening and vetting for visa candidates, the federal government mentioned on Thursday (July 24, 2025).
In a written response to a question within the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Exterior Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh additionally mentioned the MEA took up the matter with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi in addition to the U.S. Division of State.
The Ministry was requested whether or not the federal government is conscious of U.S. pupil visa points being confronted by potential Indian college students.
“On 18 June 2025, U.S. Division of State (DOS) issued a press launch titled ‘Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Candidates’. Within the mentioned press launch, DOS acknowledged that it makes use of all obtainable info in its visa screening and vetting to establish visa candidates who’re inadmissible to the US, together with those that pose a risk to U.S. nationwide safety,” the Minister mentioned.
Below the brand new pointers, the U.S. would conduct a complete and thorough vetting, together with on-line presence, of all pupil and alternate customer candidates within the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications.
To facilitate this vetting, all candidates for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas can be instructed to regulate the privateness settings on their social media profiles to “public”, in response to the rules.
“Following these developments, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs has obtained a number of representations from Indian college students and their households flagging problem in acquiring pupil visa appointments. The Ministry took up the matter with U.S. Embassy in New Delhi in addition to the U.S. Division of State,” Mr. Singh mentioned.
Whereas the issuance of visa is a sovereign prerogative of the state involved, the MEA has “persistently raised” with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi in addition to the U.S. State Division in Washington DC the problems being confronted by potential Indian college students in acquiring U.S. visas, he added.
“The Authorities of India stays engaged with the U.S. Authorities to advertise mutually advantageous and safe mobility frameworks that enable for streamlining avenues for authorized mobility of scholars and professionals, and facilitating short-term vacationer and enterprise journey,” Mr. Singh mentioned.
In a written response to a separate question, the MoS mentioned the Indian authorities stays engaged with authorities in the US on “addressing unlawful immigration and human trafficking by taking sturdy motion in opposition to the dangerous actors, legal facilitators, and unlawful immigration networks”.
In a separate question, the MEA was requested whether or not the federal government has taken cognisance of the illegal-immigration rackets working within the nation that fraudulently ship Indians overseas, inflicting lack of cash and nationwide status.
The Ministry points advisories via the eMigrate portal, social media handles and different modes of publicity concerning the perils of pretend job rackets and methods to stop the identical. “Until June 2025, a complete of three,505 unlawful brokers within the nation have been notified on the eMigrate portal,” Mr. Singh mentioned.
An consciousness marketing campaign on protected and authorized migration via the eMigrate portal has been carried out by the ministry throughout the nation by conducting workshops, coaching, info classes, digital campaigns for media teams, police officers and legislation enforcement businesses, native administration, aspiring recruiting brokers, entrepreneurs and most of the people, the Minister added.
“Throughout these classes, consciousness emigration rules, schemes helpful for emigrants like Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), Pre-Departure Orientation Coaching (PDOT), eMigrate portal and numerous advisories issued by Indian embassies are delivered to the discover of all stakeholders,” he mentioned.
Printed – July 25, 2025 02:40 am IST
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