US to review 55 million American visas worldwide; five million held by Indians

The TOI correspondent from Washington: The Trump administration on Thursday announced a comprehensive review of all 55 million active US visas held across the world -- some 5 million of which have been issued to Indians -- to identify potential violations that could lead to revocation and deportation of foreigners.

In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement aimed purportedly at protecting US national security and public safety, the State Department said all US visa holders worldwide, including tourists, students, workers, and business travelers, are subject to “continuous vetting” to identify grounds for ineligibility, including visa overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, or links to terrorism

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The review process includes examining social media accounts, law enforcement and immigration records from visa holders’ home countries, and any violations of US law.

New requirements introduced earlier this year mandate that privacy settings on electronic devices be disabled during visa interviews, facilitating data collection. The administration has also secured access to millions of immigrant tax records from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to check for violations. Should violations be found, visas will be revoked, and individuals already in the US may face deportation.

Additionally, the State Department is considering a proposal for visa applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the US, further tightening entry protocols.

An estimated five million Indian citizens are believed to be holding active US nonimmigrant visas, including visas for tourism, business, and education, such as B1/B2 visitor visas, F-1 student visas, and H-1B work visas. More than a million of them are already in the US, many awaiting green card processing.

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The review expands a vetting process that initially focused on students involved in pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel activities on campuses, which the administration controversially labeled as promoting “anti-American” or “antisemitic ideologies.” Since January this year, when the new dispensation took office, the State Department has revoked over 6000 student visas, citing reasons such as overstays, assault, driving under the influence, and, in some 300 cases, alleged support for terrorism.

“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance,” the State Department said. Trump administration officials have said repeatedly that getting a US visa is "a privilege, not a right" and screening does not stop after a visa has been issued, and a visa does not guarantee automatic entry.


Civil liberties activists and immigration advocates have criticized the new policies, contending that it will intimidate and stymie legal immigrants, affect trade, commerce, and business, and risk alienating global talent. The focus on social media vetting and vague criteria like “anti-American views/ideologies” has also sparked fears of overreach and profiling. They fear reviews will be done in a discriminatory manner targeting immigrants from certain countries or of certain color or religion.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), among other watchdogs, said the sweeping review "risks breaching civil liberties and could trigger significant economic disruption.”

The review is particularly hard on students, a million+ of whom are in U.S at any given time, than more half from India and China. Education experts warn that reviewing visas for revocation, when the holders have already been vetted before visa issuance, could slow down processes and disrupt academic institutions, businesses, and industries reliant on foreign talent.

But Trump administration officials are unwavering, emphasizing they are more concerned about US security than time, even as the MAGA constituency, which has long campaigned for shutting down immigration completely, is rejoicing at the prospect of many more higher paying jobs for Americans and more affordable housing.