The US has postponed thousands of H-1B visa interviews in India, citing enhanced vetting measures including scrutiny of social media profiles. The delays are impacting applicants who were scheduled for interviews from December 15 onwards, with new dates being pushed back by several months.
High costs, visa hurdles, and logistics for the World Cup are deterring fans, leading to a disappointing boost for US hotels, airlines, and the travel industry.
'Immigrants have always been America's greatest strength, building prosperity, breakthroughs, and communities that enrich us all. Instead of embracing that strength, Trump is clamping down on every form of immigration, tearing families apart, destabilising businesses, and weakening our economy'
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Amazon had 10,044 workers using H-1B visas as of June, 2025. Coming in at the second spot was TCS with 5,505 H-1B visas approved.
'America has historically been a magnet for people who aren't from here.' 'That sort of thing -- the promise of opportunity, no matter what that looks like -- doesn't grow on trees.' 'It also happens to be geopolitical gold that Trump is flushing down the toilet,' points out Sree Sreenivasan.
The US government will fight lawsuits aimed at blocking the USD 100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa petitions, asserting that the system was spammed with fraud and must be overhauled to prioritise American workers.
'This idea that inexpensive tech consultants should be coming into this country and bringing their families, I find it just wrong.'
The USOPC has received "significant reassurances" from the White House on visas for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Chair Gene Sykes said on Thursday, weeks after an internal memo showed the Trump administration was weighing sweeping travel restrictions.
The Trump administration has expanded its travel ban and restrictions to 20 additional nations as well as the Palestinian Authority, citing national security concerns.
Uncertainty clouds US fall intake as Trump's visa ban on Harvard raises fears of wider policy shifts, pushing Indian students to explore alternative destinations.
The Trump administration has launched a premium immigration programme targeting wealthy individuals worldwide, offering permanent residency in the United States through expensive 'Gold Cards' that could generate billions in revenue for the American Treasury.
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry to the United States for the World Cup despite a valid visa, has been appointed to officiate the upcoming UEFA Super Cup match between Paris St Germain and Aston Villa. This appointment follows a cooperation agreement between UEFA and CAF.
'Trump has signaled that he has changed his stance on the H1B visa from his first term.'
An American lawmaker will be introducing a bill to "completely eliminate" the H-1B visa programme and take away the pathway to citizenship that it offers, "forcing" individuals to "return home" when their visa expires.
'If you follow the law, America offers opportunities. But those who violate the law will face the consequences.'
India on Thursday said it expects the United States to consider visa applications of Indian students on merit amid growing concerns over the Trump administration halting new student visa interviews.
The US President said that companies have to bring people to "get those plants opened, we want you to do that, and we want those people to teach our people how to make computer chips and how to make other things."
Education loan growth is set to halve this fiscal (FY26) because disbursements for the US decelerate following a raft of policy changes there.
A 62-year-old Indian-origin man, now a US citizen, faces denaturalisation proceedings for allegedly defrauding investors of USD 2.5 million and concealing this from US authorities.
The US embassy, in a brief statement on X also said, "If anyone breaks the US law, they will be punished with "significant criminal penalties".
'Such unpredictability is motivating families to seek destinations with a more stable educational system.'
The US embassy in India issued a warning that law violations by Indian students could result in immediate visa cancellation, deportation and permanent travel bans.
The US Embassy has directed all international students aspiring to study in the United States to adjust privacy settings on their social media profiles to 'public' not just while applying for a visa but also during their entire course of study, effective immediately.
Amid an escalating regional war, questions deepen over whether Iran's soccer team will compete at this year's FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The pause will begin on January 21 and will remain in effect indefinitely until the State Department completes a reassessment of visa processing, the report said.
The White House mentioned that American companies are replacing US workers with H-1B workers.
The fee hike for the US H-1B visa by the Donald Trump administration has no short-term impact on Tata Technologies Ltd, although it will change resourcing plans for the future, according to its CEO and managing director, Warren Harris.
The Donald Trump administration has clarified that the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas does not apply to current visa holders and is a one-time payment only for new petitions.
The US Representative criticised the administration's new USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas, observing that Indians hold 70 per cent of these visas and saying the change directly harms workers who have long supported US innovation across technology, science and medicine.
In a major shift from his earlier stance, United States-President elect Donald Trump has expressed his support for the H-1B visa programme and acknowledged frequently using it for his own properties, calling it a 'great programme', according to a report by New York Post.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
A major divide has emerged within Donald Trump's MAGA team in the United States, as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy who advocated for the expansion of the visa program for 'highly skilled workers' faced heavy backlash from within President-elect's base, CNN reported.
Companies such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCLTech usually have big centres in cities to be in proximity with their clients.
'Trump is not shy when he is frustrated with countries'
A deep dive into Trump's new policy and what it means for Indian professionals and companies.
The department of homeland security withdrew Harvard certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, effectively barring the university from admitting new foreign students and threatened the legal status of current international enrollees.
Outlining each visa adjudication as a 'national security decision', the United States has asked applicants to share their social media usernames or handles of each platform they have used in the last five years.
To 'protect national interest', US now require all F, M, and Jvisa applicants (students/exchange visitors) to make socialmedia profiles public for nationalsecurity vetting.
'The US values its relationship with India and under the strong leadership of President Donald J Trump and Prime Minister Modi, I am optimistic about the days ahead for both of our nations.'
