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Last Updated:July 18, 2026, 03:06 IST
The External Affairs Ministry said it takes up issues related to genuine travellers, including students, whenever they face challenges.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced changes that introduce fixed stay periods for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists.
India on Friday said it is engaging with US authorities to address concerns and minimise difficulties faced by Indian students and visitors following changes to American visa rules.
The External Affairs Ministry said it takes up issues related to genuine travellers, including students, whenever they face challenges.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said visa and immigration policies are sovereign matters of individual countries.
“We’ve seen some reports regarding the visa rules. Visa rules and visa functions and immigration matters are sovereign functions of any state," he said at a media briefing.
Raised issues with US
However, Jaiswal added that India continues to raise concerns with the US side when Indian nationals require support.
“But having said that, let me tell you that as and when there are issues of difficulties, which are brought to our attention, in regard to genuine travellers [and] students, among others, who seek support from the US, we take up those issues with the US side so as to minimise the difficulties that our people face," he said.
The comments came after the US Department of Homeland Security announced changes that introduce fixed stay periods for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists.
The new visa rules for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists effectively ended a decades-old policy that allowed them to remain in the country indefinitely without government oversight.
The new regulations establish a fixed period of admission for nonimmigrant visa holders in F, J, and I classifications, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement on Thursday.
The F category visas are for students, the J category for exchange visitors, and the I category is for journalists.
The rule also shortens the amount of time F visa holders have to depart or transfer from school and change status after their graduation from 60 to 30 days.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Key Questions Answered
New US visa rules may impact Indian students by establishing fixed admission periods instead of the previous 'Duration of Status' (D/S) framework.
Journalists and exchange visitors, along with foreign students, will now have fixed admission periods instead of indefinite stays without government oversight. The decades-old policy allowing them to remain in the country indefinitely has ended.
India is engaging with US authorities to minimize difficulties for Indian nationals affected by new US visa rules. These rules, which end a decades-old policy allowing indefinite stays for foreign students and exchange visitors, establish fixed admission periods.
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News world 'Taken Up Issues': India Engages US Over New Visa Rules Affecting Students, Visitors
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