India Likely To Take Up Visa Revocation Issue With US Vice-President Vance
The revocation of students' visas by the US authorities has drawn sharp criticism, with experts decrying the move as unjustified and damaging to academic futures.
Published : April 19, 2025 at 4:28 PM IST
|Updated : April 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM IST
By Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: As the incidents of visa revocation against Indian students in the US turn into a major concern, India is likely to raise the matter with the American vice-president JD Vance during his upcoming visit.
"The visit will provide an opportunity for both countries to review the progress in bilateral relations and the implementation of the outcomes of the India-US joint statement issued on February 13, 2025, during the visit of the Prime Minister to the US. The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Vance will be in India from April 21 to 24, accompanied by US Second Lady Usha Vance, their children and senior members of the US administration.
Diplomatic Concerns
The visa revocations have drawn sharp criticism, with experts decrying the move as unjustified and damaging to academic futures. "The abrupt cancellation of visas without a transparent rationale is deeply troubling and undermines the aspirations of talented students," foreign affairs expert Professor Debashish Chakrabarti said, urging the Indian government to lodge a formal diplomatic protest. Chakrabarti said the controversy has intensified scrutiny over PM Narendra Modi's diplomatic engagement with Washington. Despite his (Modi's) rapport with US President Donald Trump, whom he considers a "close ally", Chakrabarti questioned the absence of high-level intervention.
"If the US partnership is truly a priority, safeguarding the interests of Indian scholars should be paramount," Chakrabarti emphasised, calling for an urgent dialogue to resolve the escalating dispute.
Actions Unprecedented
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), in a report released on Thursday, termed the US administration's actions as unprecedented. "The Department of State (DoS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are aggressively targeting international students, including those without a history of protest, for visa revocations, termination of their status and removal. Late last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that DoS revoked more than 300 student visas and announced a new 'Catch and Revoke' programme that uses AI-assisted reviews to screen social media posts of student visa holders," the AILA said. This brief dives into the data collected by attorneys, students and others across the country, it said.
The organisation collected 327 reports of visa revocations and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) terminations from attorneys, students and university employees. "These reports paint a concerning picture of the arbitrary nature of these visa revocations and terminations," the AILA said.
Founded in 1946, AILA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit and voluntary bar association that provides continuing legal education, professional services, information and expertise to over 16,000 attorneys who practice and teach immigration law. AILA promotes justice, advocates for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, and advances the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice.
Opposition Asks Govt to Raise Issue with US
Terming the AILA report a cause for concern for Indians living in the US, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday demanded that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raise the concern with his US counterpart. "Will the External Affairs Minister take note and raise the concern with his US counterpart?" Ramesh asked.
According to AILA, out of the 327 visa revocations so far, 50 per cent are Indians."The reasons for revocation are random and unclear. There is growing fear and apprehension," Ramesh said.
MEA Clarification
On Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US Government regarding their F-1 visa status, which happens to be the student visa. "We are looking into the matter. Our Embassy and Consulate are in touch with the students to provide support," Jaiswal said.
The F-1 Visa
Indian students in the US are facing a threat of deportation as authorities cancel F-1 visas, citing reasons including participation in pro-Palestinian protests to minor legal infractions. According to an estimate, more than 3.3 lakh Indian students were enrolled in US higher education institutions in the 2023-24 academic year, witnessing a 23 per cent increase from the previous year.
As per the report, the number of visas issued to Indian students fell 30 per cent in February. To study in the US, international students must obtain an F-1 visa, which requires proof of admission to a US school, financial support and compliance with immigration laws. As per norms, once in the US, they have to remain in good standing with their academic program and are generally limited in their ability to work off-campus during their academic program. Their legal status is monitored by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Ironically, the recent shift in DHS policy poses a threat to the legal status of stay in the US and to completing their studies.
The NRI Factor
Reports suggest several Indians who hold green cards have been denied re-entry into the US. "As per 2024 estimates, there are 20,77,158 NRIs in the US. The Indian government does not have the breakdown of the NRIs holding various categories of US visas. This data is also highly dynamic, because an individual could be transitioning from one visa status to another," Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh informed the Parliament recently.
Singh said the Centre remains engaged with the US to promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel, while addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking by taking strong action against the bad actors, criminal facilitators and illegal immigration networks.
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