India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on 17 July that it has begun engaging the United States government after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published draft regulations that would sharply limit how long students (F-1/J-1) and media professionals (I-1) can remain in the country. Under the proposal, most visas would be issued with a fixed four-year or, in some cases, two-year validity instead of the current “duration-of-status” model that allows holders to stay as long as they maintain their programme requirements. Indian officials say as many as 260,000 Indian nationals could be affected in the first year. At a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi is “closely studying the draft rule” and has asked Washington to ensure that “legitimate students, researchers and visiting professionals are not unduly inconvenienced.” Industry lobby groups such as NASSCOM and the U.S.–India Business Council fear the changes will create new layers of administrative risk for companies that routinely send talent to the United States, especially those working on multi-year STEM projects. Universities have warned that the policy could erode America’s competitiveness for high-skilled international students who now have alternative study-abroad options in Canada and Australia. If enacted, visa holders would have to apply for an extension each time they change their academic major or employer sponsor. For Indian IT services firms that rotate engineers on short-term assignments, the fixed-term rule could add both cost and uncertainty, while journalists covering North America would need agency-approved employment letters to renew status. Companies have already begun to audit their global-mobility calendars in anticipation of the lead time that could be required once the final rule is published—likely in early 2027 after a 60-day public-comment period. Indian applicants currently top the U.S. student-visa queue—comprising 27 % of all F-1s issued in FY 2025—and the country accounts for the second-largest cohort of H-1B specialty-occupation workers. Any additional friction in the student pipeline could therefore cascade into future employment-visa numbers. Multinationals with Indian headquarters have been advised to develop “plan-B” talent strategies, including remote delivery out of India and Canada, and to budget for possible mid-assignment travel to obtain extensions. Travel managers should watch for embassy outreach events that DHS and State Department officials are expected to schedule in New Delhi and Mumbai later this quarter. For the moment, Indian nationals in the U.S. can continue to rely on their current admission stamp or I-94 until their programme end-date. However, immigration counsel recommend that travellers keep meticulous evidence of programme compliance and be prepared for secondary inspection questions at ports of entry. The MEA has urged students to register with its MADAD portal so that consular posts can issue timely advisories as the rulemaking progresses.
Source: Hindustan Times
