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US visa halt: India isn't on the 75-country list, so why does it still matter to applicants? What experts say
The US has paused immigrant visa issuance for 75 countries, raising concerns among Indian applicants about US immigration policy direction.
The US Department of State’s decision to temporarily pause immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries does not directly apply to India. Yet for many Indian applicants, the announcement raises a concern: what does it signal about the direction of US immigration policy?
The pause, announced through departmental guidance on January 14 and effective from January 21, allows applicants from affected countries to submit forms and attend interviews, but bars the issuance of immigrant visas during the review period. Non-immigrant categories, including tourist, student and work visas, are excluded.
On paper, India remains unaffected. In practice, immigration advisers say the implications go beyond the list.
What is paused and what isn’t
According to the State Department, the review is intended to ensure that immigrants are financially self-sufficient and do not become a “public charge.” Dual nationals applying with a passport from a non-listed country are exempt, and no existing visas have been revoked.
Frederick Ng, co-founder of Beyond Border, told Hindustan Times: “The recent pause on visa processing refers only to immigrant visas, i.e. Green Cards,” noting that most of the affected countries are not part of the Visa Waiver Program either.
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Still, Ng flagged: “Generally, visa applicants should expect a tougher stance on immigrant visas (vs non immigrant visas) from the current administration. Longer wait time, more requests for evidence.”
Why Indian applicants are paying attention anyway
For many Indians, the sense of tightening did not begin just this month.
A Gurugram-based professional, who requested anonymity, told Hindustan Times she turned down a temporary project-based transfer to the US within her company, in October 2025, after visa appointment slots were pushed back by months.
“Even when slots open, centers are often unavailable nearby, forcing travel to other cities,” she said, adding that the scarcity had led to agents charging steep fees for earlier appointments.
She also described the anxiety surrounding travel even for those with valid visas, citing the experience of a relative, who is the parent of an Indian student in California. A December 2025 case she recounted involved the parent, who travelled to the US to support their son post-surgery.
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The parent hesitated to travel again after hearing of shorter stays being granted at US immigration checkpoints.
That unease has been supported by enforcement data. A Reuters report in November 2025 said around 80,000 non-immigrant visas had been revoked since January 20, 2025, amid the strict vetting and enforcement.
‘Things went haywire’: Early signs before visa pause
Longer-term uncertainty had already begun shaping choices before the visa halt came into effect.
A Bangalore-based professional, also speaking on condition of anonymity, had secured admission to the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. But she ultimately decided against pursuing an MBA in the US.
“I got in by Sep 2024, and till Jan 2025 I was convinced of going… Then things went haywire on how immigrants are treated,” she told Hindustan Times.
She pointed to unpredictability around H-1B lotteries and permanent residency. “The ROI was not making sense.”
What advisers are seeing on ground
Immigration consultants say individual experiences like these point to a behavioral shift rather than panic. “Indian applicants aren’t panicking, but they’re recalibrating risk,” said Varun Singh, Managing Director at XIPHIAS Immigration.
“The queries have moved from ‘What are my chances?’ to ‘What is the earliest safe window to travel?’ and ‘What’s my Plan B if consular operations slow down or rules tighten?’”
Singh told Hindustan Times that the shift is sharpest among those with long-term settlement plans. “This isn’t because Indians are newly barred. It's because policy volatility itself is now treated as a variable in mobility planning.”
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Despite the uncertainty, experts say India is not pulling away from the US, just reassessing how it approaches it.
Saurabh Arora, Founder and CEO of University Living, said there has been no visible drop in demand from Indian students. “We are not seeing a policy-driven shift in accommodation demand for the US,” he told Hindustan Times.
He added: “What we are observing is a higher volume of questions and due diligence, rather than a pullback.”
