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'Not targeted at India': Marco Rubio clears the air on green card, H-1B, student visa policy changes
Rubio added that the changes will cause some "friction points," but were not targeted at India.
Addressing the recent changes made to green card and visa policies as part of US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, secretary of state Marco Rubio stated that the reforms were not "targeted at India."
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, the top US diplomat added that the changes have been made in order to "modernise the migration system."
"I accept the contribution that Indians have made to the U.S. economy. Over $20 billion has been invested in the U.S economy by Indian companies. We want that number to continue to increase... The changes that are happening now, or the modernisation of our migration system into the United States, are not India-specific," said Rubio.
The secretary of state's remarks also come after US President Donald Trump recently reshared a social media post that called India a “hellhole”.
Describing the immigration overhaul as "long overdue," Rubio added that the system must be adjusted to the realities of the times you live in, after sharing the example of his parents moving from Cuba to the US and becoming permanent residents.
The US diplomat also said that any major changes, especially during the transition period, will cause some "friction points," adding that the changes are not targeted at India, but rather being applied globally.
"But we're in a period of transition, and like any period of transition, there's going to be some bumps on that road. But we think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system, a more efficient system, one that works better than the one that we had in place previously and more sustainable by the way," said Rubio.
Jaishankar raises visa concerns with Rubio
During the press conference in New Delhi, external affairs minister S Jaishankar stated that visa concerns and issues faced by Indian travellers were raised in a meeting with Rubio.
"People-to-people ties are at the heart of the (India-US) relationship. I apprised Secretary Rubio of challenges that legitimate travellers face in respect to visa issuance," said Jaishankar.
"While we cooperate to deal with illegal and irregular mobility, our expectation is that legal mobility would not be adversely impacted as a consequence. After all, this is very relevant to our business, technology and research cooperation," the EAM added further.
Also Read | India raises concerns over US visa and immigration policies with Rubio
US overhauls green card, visa system
In the most recent change, Washington announced that foreigners seeking green cards for the US will be required to apply from their home countries.
“From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” Zach Kahler, a spokesman for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, said in a statement Friday.
The new rules will apply to any foreigner who came to the US on a temporary non-immigrant visa, including students, employees on H-1B or L visas and visitors.
Other changes made by the Trump administration include vetting of social media platforms for F, M, and J student/exchange visas, and H-1B and H-4 work visas.
Another major change was Trump's presidential proclamation which hiked the fees for H-1b visa petitions to $100,000. The fee would apply to new applicants and sponsoring employers.
Furthermore, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced an increase in premium processing fees for immigration benefits, which came into effect in March this year.
The premium processing fee, which allows applicants to receive faster decisions on certain work and employment-related visas, was increased from $2,805 to $2,965.
