Washington, D.C., July 3 (ANI): The United States has opened its student visa application process and encourages international students to apply, while emphasizing that all visa decisions are made with US national security considerations in mind, Deputy State Department Spokesperson Mignon Houston said Wednesday.
Speaking to ANI, Houston explained the expectations for students applying to study in the United States.
“Our student visa applications have opened. Students can apply and submit their applications, but what we want students to understand when they’re applying for that visa is that we want to see a use of that visa that is in line with their application—students come to the United States to study, not obstruct classes or vandalize campuses,” Houston said.
She stressed that visa decisions are rooted in safeguarding US interests.
“Every decision we make is a US national security decision. We have these policies under US immigration law to ensure we are upholding the highest standards—not only to protect US citizens but also other students studying here,” she added.
Houston also addressed broader US-India relations, calling India an “essential partner” in the Indo-Pacific and reiterating Washington’s commitment to fair and reciprocal trade as negotiations continue on a bilateral trade agreement.
“We want trade that is fair and reciprocal. Working closely, India is an essential partner in the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. We expect that all our partners understand why this is so important to the ‘America First’ agenda. We look for trade policies that have fairness, reciprocity, and balance to ensure that all parties benefit,” she said.
She defended the Trump administration’s use of tariffs, saying they were aimed at addressing unfair trade practices that have harmed American farmers and industries.
“These tariffs are a way for countries to meet us at a place of fairness. The United States has an open economy, but there are unfair trade policies that have impacted US farmers and industries,” she said.
Trade talks between India and the US on a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) are underway, with a July 9 deadline approaching—the end of a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariff hikes.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about finalizing a deal with India.
“I think we are going to have a deal with India. And that is going to be a different kind of a deal. It is going to be a deal where we are able to go in and compete. Right now, India does not accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, and if they do that, we are going to have a deal for much less tariffs,” Trump said.
India has taken a firm position on agricultural issues as talks progress. According to government sources, India’s negotiating team, led by Chief Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, has extended its stay in Washington to continue discussions.
Originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday, the negotiations have been extended as both sides work to finalize an interim agreement before the July 9 deadline.
A senior official warned that failure to reach an agreement would trigger the reinstatement of a 26 percent tariff structure that had been temporarily suspended for 90 days after first being imposed by the Trump administration on April 2.
“The failure of these trade discussions would trigger the immediate reimplementation of the 26 percent tariff structure,” the official said.
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