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 to identify potential violations that could lead to revocation and deportation of foreign nationals.
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, 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.
Also read: Indian student arrivals to US crash 46% in July: Here’s how it could cost American students
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 U.S., further tightening entry protocols.
Also read: Donald Trump's new Immigration Policy to end H-1B Visa Lottery: Here's what it means
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. At least a million of them are already in the US.
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 Trump 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.
In a related move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced an immediate pause on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers following a horrific accident in Florida in which an Indian Sikh who entered the US illegally made a reckless U-turn resulting in three deaths. The driver, identified as Harjinder Singh, later flunked English fluency and road sign tests, answering only two out of 12 questions correctly in English and identifying only one out of four highway signs shown to him.
"The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers," Rubio said. The Sikhs Political Action Committee (SikhsPAC) estimated in 2018 that around 150,000 Sikhs work in the US trucking industry, with 90% (approximately 135,000) being drivers.
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, 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.
Also read: Indian student arrivals to US crash 46% in July: Here’s how it could cost American students
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 U.S., further tightening entry protocols.
Also read: Donald Trump's new Immigration Policy to end H-1B Visa Lottery: Here's what it means
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. At least a million of them are already in the US.
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 Trump 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.
Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 21, 2025
The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.
In a related move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced an immediate pause on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers following a horrific accident in Florida in which an Indian Sikh who entered the US illegally made a reckless U-turn resulting in three deaths. The driver, identified as Harjinder Singh, later flunked English fluency and road sign tests, answering only two out of 12 questions correctly in English and identifying only one out of four highway signs shown to him.
Minivan passengers killed instantly, driver dies of injuries.
— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) August 17, 2025
Florida trucker in homicide probe#Florida #USA pic.twitter.com/b2J5coT3Nv https://t.co/LlzXN4RrRT
📌A woman, 37, from #Pompano_Beach & a man, 54, from #Miami, died in a collision.
The minivan’s driver, a man,…
"The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers," Rubio said. The Sikhs Political Action Committee (SikhsPAC) estimated in 2018 that around 150,000 Sikhs work in the US trucking industry, with 90% (approximately 135,000) being drivers.
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