Pananjay Tiwari, founder and director of Impel Overseas Education, explains how the new changes can impact Indian students who are applying to US universities and those who are already studying in the US.
Many unauthorised migrants originate from Punjab and Gujarat, states known for high migration aspirations rather than political instability.
The obsession for migrating to the US is visible mostly in Majha and Doaba regions of Punjab, he further said.
The Indian government has defended the use of Amritsar as a deportation hub for US flights carrying Indian deportees, despite objections from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Government sources said Punjab has the highest number of deportees among Indian states, with 126 out of 333 people deported since February 5. The sources added that 23 flights carrying Indian deportees have arrived in the country since May 2020, all landing in Amritsar. The move has sparked controversy, with opposition parties protesting the treatment meted out to the deportees and demanding that the Indian government take up the issue with the US. Mann has accused the Centre of trying to defame Punjab and said a holy city like Amritsar should not be made a "deport centre".
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has vowed to take strict action against travel agents involved in sending youth from the state abroad through illegal routes. He said the government is identifying those involved and will introduce a law to control illegal immigration. Saini also commented on the recent Delhi elections, praising the BJP's victory and criticizing former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
The Indian government does not track the number of undocumented Indian immigrants residing in the US. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, said these immigrants have "legally exited India" but have either overstayed their visa validity, or have entered the US illegally or without valid documents. The response comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to the US, during which he will hold a bilateral meeting with President Trump. The two leaders are likely to discuss India-US cooperation in sectors like trade, investment, energy, defense, technology and immigration.
The United States has deported a group of Indian migrants on a military transport aircraft, marking the first such deportation to India as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The US embassy in New Delhi confirmed that Washington is tightening immigration laws and removing illegal migrants. The deportation comes as India and the US are finalizing details for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in February. India has indicated its willingness to work with the US on addressing illegal immigration, and has said it will take back all Indians who have overstayed or are in the US without documentation.
Indian-origin tech companies cornered a fifth of all H-1B visas issued by the US with Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services leading the pack, an analysis of data from the US immigration department showed. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in April-September 2024 period, out of the total 1.3 lakh H-1B visas issued to different employers, about 24,766 visas were issued to Indian-origin companies.
Several Indian immigrants, including 30 from Punjab, were deported from the US after being apprehended at the border. They had paid hefty sums to travel agents who promised them a better life in America, only to be met with illegal crossings and harsh detention conditions. Their dreams are now shattered, leaving them with heavy debts and a bleak future.
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.
As the US gets tougher with visas, the prayers of US-bound devotees in India are getting more fervent, and their purse strings looser. Called Visa Hanuman temples (there are half a dozen all over India), some of them ask for a 'fee'.
Indians have topped the number of illegal immigrants from Asian countries caught at land, sea, and air checkpoints of the US since 2022.
India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over recent objectionable remarks made against Bhagat Singh, the government said in Lok Sabha. The Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stated that India has been raising concerns about attacks on cultural heritage, growing intolerance, and lack of respect for minority communities in Pakistan. Singh also highlighted the strong ties between India and Bangladesh, emphasizing that their relationship is independent of Bangladesh's relations with other countries. The government closely monitors developments impacting India's national interests and takes necessary measures to protect them. Singh also provided information about the deportation of Indian nationals from the US, citing data from the US government.
'Trump has signaled that he has changed his stance on the H1B visa from his first term.'
Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has been arrested by US law enforcement authorities in Iowa. He is wanted in connection with several criminal cases in India, including the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique and the firing outside actor Salman Khan's Mumbai home.
The United States hired a chartered flight to deport Indian nationals who were staying in the country illegally, the Department of Homeland Security has said, noting that this has been done in cooperation with the Indian government.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a series of executive orders fulfilling campaign promises, including declaring an emergency at the southern border, addressing a national energy crisis, and defining sex-related policies. The orders aim to address immigration, national security, and energy independence, with a focus on reversing policies implemented by the previous administration.
In a virtual briefing, Royce Murray, assistant secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, US DHS, in response to a query related to the October 22 charter flight that deported a batch of Indian nationals, said, "no minor" among them on that removal flight, adding these were all male and female adults.
Media reports said even though the Immigration and Customs Enforcement had confirmed that Bunairee was in the agency's custody, they were unwilling to give out further details owing privacy reasons.
The Indian software industry, which has a big exposure to the US market, has expressed its concerns over the comments by the US President. Some US companies, which outsource a number of their IT jobs to Indian companies, have launched a campaign against the new law that ends tax incentives to those firms which create jobs overseas.
The US needs to understand that it could potentially lose out on attracting several Netravalkars in the future if it curbs the influx of such industrious Indian immigrants, argues Vishal Menon.
The 20-year-old arrested accused, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, allegedly planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7 "with the intent of slaughtering in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible," attorney general Merrick B Garland said, as per the statement.
US President Barack Obama has already backed the Bill that seeks to put curbs on the use of H-1B visa for those companies which have a higher ratio of work force under this category.
'Are we to believe that coordinated moves by the Canadian and US authorities are no longer taking place?', asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Aryan Anand had submitted fake and falsified documents to secure admission into Lehigh University, a private research university in Pennsylvania for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The bill moved after months of closed-door meetings by a group of eight bipartisan lawmakers, known as the Gang of Eight, aimed at striking a balance between enforcement provisions sought by Republicans as well as Democrats, including making citizenship widely accessible to those illegally in America.
Last year, Nasscom hired influential lobbyist, public relation and law firms to plead the case of Indian firms with Congressmen.
Are you setting out for the US for higher studies? Do you know what to expect at immigration?
'The fact that India is multilingual and the kids grow up already bilingual or trilingual so learning another language or learning other spelling patterns is not really that hard.'
Officially called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernisation Act, 2013, the Bill being pushed by the Obama administration gives the domestic IT professionals in the US a 60-day period to find a new job after they lose the existing one, among several other sweeping reforms.
Infosys on Friday said it is in discussion with clients for a contingency plan to ensure business continuity in the event of the US immigration reforms bill becoming a law.
There are about 2 million eligible Indian origin people that can vote.
It would increase economic growth for years to come.
Foreign students knowingly enrolled in the fake school to falsely maintain their student visa status and remain in the US, according to prosecutors.
Two Indian nationals were among five persons arrested by United States border authorities after they were apprehended for illegally crossing into the country from Canada by boat.
According to government statistics, Indian IT firms support 280,000 jobs in the US and have contributed about $15 billion to the US Treasury in the past five years.
Indian IT professionals in the US have welcomed the proposed immigration bill on several counts, particularly the Green Card, introduction of merit-based visa and increase in H-1B visa quota.
Unlike other communities, we do not demand to bring more people in the United States, but we demand fairness and justice for immigrants says Aman Kapoor
The new law, signed in October, strips foreigners of the right to challenge their detention in federal courts.\n\n
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