In gentle of the rising uncertainty surrounding US immigration legal guidelines, authorized specialists are advising visa holders, together with H-1B staff, college students from different international locations (F-1), and even inexperienced card holders, to cautiously take into consideration touring abroad.
The warning coincides with the Trump administration’s plans to restrict journey for individuals of 43 nations, together with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bhutan. Whereas India isn’t on any deliberate journey ban lists, Attorneys declare that travellers are nonetheless topic to extra stringent safety inspections, backlog in visa stamping, and even detention at US airports.
Indian H-1B, F-1 Visa and Inexperienced Card holders should look at journey preparations earlier than leaving US
Legal professionals for immigration warning that vacationers departing the US for employment-related journeys or visa renewals could encounter unexpected administrative challenges. At US consulates in different international locations, there are reportedly appreciable delays and a rising backlog in visa stamping.
A number of functions get caught in administrative overview for unclear causes, which causes processing timeframes to be prolonged. Authorized professionals advise holders of H-1B and F-1 visas particularly to rigorously think about their journey preparations earlier than departing the US.
Additionally Learn: This firm acquired most H-1B visas authorised in 2024. It isn’t Infosys, TCS or Microsoft
The USA State Division lately revised its requirements for visa interview waivers, or “dropbox” functions, which additional complicate issues.
Earlier, it was attainable to reissue a non-immigrant visa with out an interview if the visa had expired throughout the earlier 48 months. Nevertheless, the eligibility interval has now been shortened to simply 12 months. Consequently, extra candidates need to go to in-person interviews, which will increase the complexity of the visa renewal process.
Who might be impacted by US coverage change?
This coverage change will affect those that are switching from an F-1 scholar visa to an H-1B work visa and those that are trying for an H-1B extension if their earlier visa expired greater than a yr in the past. After beforehand benefiting from expedited interview waivers, these candidates now have to point out up for in-person interviews at US consulates.
Based on immigration specialists, even candidates who’ve beforehand had repeated visa approvals should still be topic to administrative procedures, which might trigger an enormous delay of their return.
Immigration lawyer LaToya McBean Pompy advised CNN that the primary drawback she observes along with her inexperienced card shoppers is the rising nervousness.
“They’ve by no means been afraid earlier than,” she mentioned, including that “however at this time, they’re afraid.”
Inexperienced card holders are ceaselessly imprisoned and deported if they’re charged with and located responsible of particular offenses, based on immigration lawyer David Leopold.
Leopold claims that the counsel he provides his shoppers modifications primarily based on their specific state of affairs. Given the potential for additional journey restrictions from the Trump administration within the close to future, he has urged many visa holders to postpone their trip plans.
