NEW DELHI: Stringent visa regulations await those seeking entry into the US as American embassies in many parts of the world, including India begin implementing President Trump's January 20 executive order.
"The Department of State is conducting a full review of the visa program as directed by the Executive Order," a US government official confirmed to this newspaper.
Under Executive Order 14161—Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats—the Secretary of State, Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence must submit a report to the President within 60 days.
This report will identify countries with inadequate vetting and screening procedures and recommend partial or full suspensions on the admission of nationals from those countries.
Indian travellers planning to renew US visas may now face a fresh challenge. In line with the new order, the US Department of State has abruptly reduced the eligibility window for visa interview waivers (dropbox) from 48 months to just 12 months, which will lead to longer wait for thousands of Indian applicants.
This change will affect nonimmigrant visa holders, such as those with H-1B and B1/B2 visas. H1 B visa is meant for specialty occupation, and B1 and B 2 visa B-1/B-2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows foreign citizens to visit the United States for business or tourism. It can also be used for both purposes. These individuals had previously enjoyed more lenient rules that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The executive order seeks to “re-establish a uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures, consistent with the uniform baseline that existed on January 19, 2021, that will be used for any alien seeking a visa or immigration.”
Since November 2022, travelers have been able to renew their US visa without an interview if their previous visa expired within 48 months.
However, this window has now been shortened to just 12 months, requiring many more applicants to schedule an in-person appointment.
Though there have been long delays post covid in getting visas, travel between India and the US has soared since the pandemic.
In 2023, over 1.76 million Indians visited the US, surpassing the pre-Covid 2019 figure of 1.47 million. India is now the second-largest source of international visitors to the US, after the UK.
Moreover, there will be larger scrutiny in issuing of visas under Executive Order 14161, signed by US President Trump on January 20, 2025, is titled "Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats."
This order for example requires federal agencies to strengthen immigration screening and vetting procedures to prevent individuals who could pose national security or public safety risks from entering the country.
It reinstates vetting standards from the previous Trump administration and mandates a comprehensive review of visa and immigration policies to ensure heightened security.
Key provisions include identifying high-risk countries for possible entry restrictions, improving refugee screening, evaluating visa programs for security vulnerabilities, overseeing foreign nationals already in the US, and promoting immigrant assimilation into American society.
Last month External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also highlighted the importance of improving legal mobility between India and the US.
“If it takes 400-odd days of waiting to get a visa, I don't think the relationship is well served by this," he had remarked
