New Delhi: The US Monday imposed visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials with Indian travel agencies, accusing them of knowingly facilitating illegal immigration, in a move aimed at curbing human smuggling networks.
A US Department of State notification said its diplomatic and consular staff in India are working to identify and hold the individuals who are involved in promoting unauthorised migration to the US accountable.
“We will continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks,” its statement read.
The move is part of a broader crackdown on transnational immigration networks, which, US officials claim, are undermining domestic law enforcement and national security. The visa restrictions—the department added—will “cut off alien smuggling networks”, or serve as a deterrent at the least.
In April this year, the US Embassy in India cancelled 2,000 visa appointments due to fraud concerns. It is now expanding its probe into travel agents misusing the visa appointment system.
According to an investigation by ThePrint, the US Embassy plans to not only black-list visa applicants involved in such fraudulent activities but also share their names with the UK, Canada, and Australia, among other allied countries.
In FY 2024 (October 2023–September 2024), US missions in India, including the embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata, issued roughly 1.38 million visas. Of them, 9,00,000 were tourist visas—a record high.
However, according to ThePrint report, the sharp rise in demand for US visas has fuelled the growth of a black market, where some travel agents charge up to Rs 60,000 for expedited appointment slots.
The Donald Trump-led administration has responded to the crisis by adopting a stricter stance and authorised US missions to act directly against visa applicants, besides travel agents. The move marked a shift from the previous policy, focused mainly on enforcement efforts against the intermediaries rather than the individuals misusing the system.
“Our immigration policy aims not only to inform foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration to the United States but also to hold accountable individuals who violate our laws, including facilitators of illegal immigration,” Tammy Bruce, the Department of State spokesperson, said in the statement.
The US announcement comes amid renewed focus on immigration enforcement—especially, among political groups on the Right—since the people in these groups have linked rising unauthorised immigration to law-and-order concerns.
US authorities have not disclosed the names of individuals facing visa restrictions. Responding to media inquiries, the US Embassy reportedly said it could not release the names due to “visa record confidentiality.”
The development follows a recent wave of deportations of Indian nationals allegedly staying illegally in the US. In February this year, the US repatriated roughly 330 Indian nationals. India discussed the repatriation issue with US Vice President JD Vance during his visit last month.
Saying 50% of Indian nationals facing visa restrictions are students, the Jaishanker-led Ministry of External Affairs has also raised its concerns.
In April, the MEA told Parliament that Indian officials regularly discuss migration issues with US officials, including at ministerial levels. Its focus, the ministry said, was two-fold—clamping down on illegal channels, and streamlining legal mobility for tourists, students, and professionals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the dual approach during his Washington DC visit in February this year when India and the US reaffirmed their commitment to build “secure and mutually beneficial mobility frameworks” while recognising evolving dynamics of the global workforce.
Earlier this year, the Modi-led government reaffirmed its opposition to illegal immigration, citing its connection to organised crime. New Delhi also stated its readiness to repatriate all Indian nationals who either overstayed their visas or live in the United States without proper documentation.
At the time, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was even open to working collaboratively with the Trump administration to address all the illegal immigration issues.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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