Us Immigration

ICE rejects suggestion for automatic body camera activation, cites privacy

Federal immigration officials need to ensure that body cameras worn by officers are uniformly activated when needed, a government report released Wednesday said, following a series of contentious shootings and aggressive arrests by ICE officers. The agency rejected the recommendation, saying that using cameras that automatically activate when an officer pulls their weapon or activates a car siren could risk privacy concerns. ICE has come under intense scrutiny after numerous incidents where officers have opened fire during enforcement operations and the agency has claimed they were under threat but officers weren't wearing body cameras. Critics say the cameras could help hold officers accountable and promote transparency at a time when the agency is operating at a high tempo across the country and increasingly accused of excessive use of force. The report by the Government Accountability Office covers the period from February 2025 until September of this year. The report, conducte

Shifting immigration rules

Indian IT firms are prepared for the change

Infosys sees no material impact from US suspension of PERM applications

The US government said on Thursday it was suspending some major ‌global tech and IT firms, including Infosys, from the PERM green card program

Indian IT firms filed few PERM applications compared with US tech majors

Indian IT firms have sharply reduced PERM filings and expanded local hiring in the US, with analysts expecting a limited industry impact from the programme's suspension

Mamdani accuses ICE of impunity after agent shoots man in New York

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a five-year-old child was inside the man's vehicle when federal agents opened fire in the Bronx

Harvard, MIT face visa probes amid Trump admin's crackdown on global talent

The sweeping fraud probe is focused on J-1 visas, which at universities are often held by international PhD candidates and visiting scholars

80% of H-1B filings were for existing employees, not new hires: Microsoft

Microsoft has said 80 per cent of the 6000 H1-B visa applications it had submitted last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees and not to hire new people. The statement came on Thursday hours after Vice President J D Vance suspended Microsoft from a programme to apply for green cards for foreign workers, accusing it of abusing the system. "We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the US are Americans. We look forward to providing the administration with additional information," Microsoft said. "For example, of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80 per cent were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees. These were not to hire new people," it said. The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to come work for us, and they equal only one per

Immigration and skilled talent mobility are distinct issues: Nasscom

The IT industry body says Indian technology firms have reduced their dependence on H-1B visas and expanded local hiring in the US amid fresh restrictions on the PERM programme

US to more than double EB-5 visa fees for immigrant investors from Nov 30

The US has decided to drastically increase fees for immigrants seeking to invest in America and eventually claim permanent residency under the EB-5 investor programme which remains one of the most reliable ways for Indian entrepreneurs and families to obtain Green Card. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) finalised a rule on Tuesday that seeks to more than double the fees for applying to the EB-5 visa. The rule will be effective from November 30. The US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme grants permanent residency (a Green Card) to foreign investors and their immediate families who invest capital into a US commercial enterprise and create 10 full-time jobs for American workers. The filing fee for Form I-526, used by standalone investors, will rise from USD 3,675 to USD 7,615. The fee for an initial Form I-526E petition, used by investors participating through an approved regional centre, will increase from USD 3,675 to USD 7,850. Initial I-526 and I-526E petitions w

US ICE hides locations of thousands of detainees with final removal orders

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding thousands of detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, an unannounced move that has made it far more difficult for lawyers and relatives to find them, according to current and former officials familiar with the practice. ICE removed those detainees from its online detainee locator system on Sept 15, according to three current and former ICE officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the change. Several lawyers contacted by The Associated Press confirmed their clients vanished from the system this week, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association warned its members about the situation Friday. The move represents a stark departure from previous practice and highlights the hardline nature of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, leaving thousands of detainees exceedingly hard to trace and potentially unable to exercise all

US pursues deportees abroad for hundreds of millions in unpaid fines

US Customs and Border Protection says it is trying to recover about $423 million in fines and fees from more than 66,300 people who have been removed from the US

US immigrant visa appointment pause clouds Indians' travel plans

The latest action only applies to those who have been approved for green cards or lawful permanent resident status

Trump administration pauses all immigrant visa applications worldwide

The Trump administration has paused immigrant visa applications worldwide for consular officer training, delaying scheduled interviews as the US steps up checks on visa applicants

Proposed additional H-1B fee could push high-value jobs overseas: FIIDS

An Indian-American advocacy group has voiced concern over the proposed USD 103,265 additional fees for H1-B work visas, saying the move would push US jobs overseas. The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) said an extraordinary fee could make legitimate hiring economically impractical and unintentionally encourage companies to place high-value jobs overseas. The FIIDS statement came a day after the Department of Homeland Security proposed an additional USD 103,265 fee for all H1-B visa cap-subject applications, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption. "We recognise that DHS and USCIS need adequate resources to protect national security, prevent fraud and administer legal immigration. But a USD 103,265 H-1B fee could choke cash-strapped startups, while companies hiring thousands of H-1B workers could face hundreds of millions of dollars -- and potentially close to a billion dollars -- in additional costs," Khanderao Kand, Chief of Policy and ...

US set for largest mass visa revocation ever, targets up to 200K foreigners

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history and would likely face legal challenges. Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two US officials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. "We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently," said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. He declined

Is the American dream losing its allure for Asia's brightest students?

In July, the White House issued a rule that eliminates the system that allowed foreign pupils to remain in the country, as long as they maintained their student status

US set to make online filing of immigration applications mandatory

The US will soon make online applications mandatory for immigration benefits such as green card, citizenship, and asylum, among others, in a bid to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in a new rule published in the Federal Register on Monday, said it will now be mandatory to fill any form that has been available for e-filing for at least 180 days. It would also establish a process that allows the agency to make forms online-only after providing at least 60 days' notice. The rule could affect a wide range of immigration benefits, including green card applications and renewals, family-based petitions, citizenship requests, asylum claims, employment authorisation applications and Temporary Protected Status filings. Applicants will generally submit filings through a USCIS online account by either by completing the form online; or uploading a PDF version of the completed form and supporting evidence. The USCIS said the rule is .

US expands 9-11 fee for H1-B, L-1 visa extension petitions from Sep 9

The US on Monday published new rules that would require large employers to pay a fee of USD 4,000 for H-1B and USD 4,500 for L-1 applications for extension of visas of their employees. Earlier, these fees were applicable only for initial H-1B and L-1 petitions or if the applicants changed jobs. Major Indian IT services and consulting providers rely on a blended onshore-offshore staffing model, bringing them within the ambit of the changed rule. The 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee, applicable to employers with 50 or more employees in the US if more than 50 per cent are in H-1B or L-1 nonimmigrant status, will come into effect from September 9, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. The rule is likely to increase immigration sponsorship costs for technology companies; global consulting firms; IT services providers; multinational employers; and other organisations with a large number of H-1B and L-1 employees. Organisations filing routine extension requests for th

NAPA seeks fair process for Indian deportees amid US immigration crackdown

The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expressed concern on Sunday over the expanding immigration enforcement campaign in the United States, which includes the removal of Indian nationals and increasing denaturalisation proceedings involving naturalised US citizens. NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said the organisation respects the sovereign right of the US to enforce its immigration laws, but stressed that enforcement must be based on due process, equal protection, and individual assessment rather than nationality, ethnicity or community identity. "Individuals who violate immigration laws or are convicted of serious crimes must be held accountable through established legal procedures. However, enforcement should not result in collective punishment or discrimination against entire communities," Chahal said in a statement. He said there was also growing confusion between deportation and denaturalisation. A person facing deportation is not automatically a candidate

USCIS empowers officers to deny incomplete immigration benefit requests

The USCIS has restored officers' discretion to deny immigration benefit requests if applicants submit incomplete applications or fail to provide the required documents to establish eligibility. The earlier policy gave applicants a 12-week period to respond to requests for further evidence made by immigration officers on applications for change or extension of immigration status, green cards, visa or naturalisation. It also added an additional 14 days to the response deadline when a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) was mailed outside the United States. "The burden is on the requestor to establish that he or she is eligible for the requested benefit at the time of filing the benefit request and that he or she continues to be eligible through adjudication," the USCIS said in a statement here on Wednesday. It said if a benefit requestor fails to demonstrate eligibility for a benefit or fails to provide all required initial evidence when filing an ...