New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): The U.S. Embassy in India on Saturday issued a strong advisory to visa holders, emphasizing that American visa screening continues even after a visa is granted — and violators risk revocation and deportation.
“U.S. visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all U.S. laws and immigration rules — and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t,” the Embassy stated in a post on X.
The statement underscores the United States’ ongoing efforts to enforce its immigration laws and reminds visa holders that compliance with all legal requirements is mandatory throughout their stay.
As part of broader measures to tighten screening, a related announcement last month required all applicants for F, M, or J non-immigrant visas to adjust the privacy settings on their social media accounts to public to enable vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility under U.S. law.
In its X post, the U.S. Embassy (@USAndIndia) wrote: “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States.”
It also reiterated that since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on both immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms.
“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security,” the Embassy added.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government recently announced a sweeping new 2025 travel ban, barring nationals from 12 countries entirely and partially restricting visa access from seven others. The ban, aimed at prioritizing national security, focuses on countries deemed high-risk for security gaps and terrorism concerns, largely in the Middle East and Africa.
Citizens of the most-affected countries now face a total ban on immigrant and non-immigrant visas, including those for tourism, education, and employment, while seven other nations face partial restrictions involving tighter screening or limited visa categories.
The U.S. clarified that India is not on the list. Applications for Indian nationals across all categories — including B1/B2 tourist visas, H1B work permits, and F1 student visas — continue to be processed.
However, Indian applicants still face long delays due to high demand and administrative backlog, with most U.S. consulates in India booking interview slots 10–12 months in advance. While India remains unaffected by the new travel ban, extended processing times continue to impact travel, education, and employment plans for many.
(ANI)
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