Answering questions in the Rajya Sabha on 4 December, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that New Delhi has raised concerns with Washington over the United States’ newly announced social-media disclosure requirement for most temporary-visa categories. “Visas are a sovereign function, but we have conveyed that minor infractions should not justify cancellation or deportation,” the minister said.
Jaishankar traced the issue back to April 2025, when U.S. consulates began revoking F-1 student visas for what he called ‘technical breaches’ such as inadvertent on-campus employment violations. According to ministry data tabled in Parliament, 432 Indian students have been forced to leave the U.S. since May. The minister said consular teams in Houston, Chicago and San Francisco intervened in 119 cases, helping several students regain status.
![Jaishankar tells Parliament India is engaging U.S. on tougher visa vetting]()
Opposition MPs pressed the government to negotiate a waiver or at least clearer guidelines before the 15 December rollout of social-media vetting. Jaishankar stopped short of demanding a rollback but said India expects “fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory” implementation. He noted that the upcoming 2+2 Dialogue will feature a dedicated working group on mobility and talent flows.
For corporate India, the statement is a signal that Delhi intends to monitor outcomes. Companies sending employees on L-1 or H-1B assignments may gain an additional diplomatic channel to flag systemic delays. Mobility managers should, however, temper expectations; past experience shows bilateral discussions rarely produce immediate policy reversals in the U.S. immigration arena.
Still, public acknowledgement in Parliament gives Indian travellers—especially students—some reassurance that their cases will not be ignored. Universities and IT exporters are expected to submit aggregated impact data to the Ministry of External Affairs ahead of the next round of talks.
Jaishankar traced the issue back to April 2025, when U.S. consulates began revoking F-1 student visas for what he called ‘technical breaches’ such as inadvertent on-campus employment violations. According to ministry data tabled in Parliament, 432 Indian students have been forced to leave the U.S. since May. The minister said consular teams in Houston, Chicago and San Francisco intervened in 119 cases, helping several students regain status.
Opposition MPs pressed the government to negotiate a waiver or at least clearer guidelines before the 15 December rollout of social-media vetting. Jaishankar stopped short of demanding a rollback but said India expects “fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory” implementation. He noted that the upcoming 2+2 Dialogue will feature a dedicated working group on mobility and talent flows.
For corporate India, the statement is a signal that Delhi intends to monitor outcomes. Companies sending employees on L-1 or H-1B assignments may gain an additional diplomatic channel to flag systemic delays. Mobility managers should, however, temper expectations; past experience shows bilateral discussions rarely produce immediate policy reversals in the U.S. immigration arena.
Still, public acknowledgement in Parliament gives Indian travellers—especially students—some reassurance that their cases will not be ignored. Universities and IT exporters are expected to submit aggregated impact data to the Ministry of External Affairs ahead of the next round of talks.
