The US embassy in India has warned that reduced crimes such as attacks, theft, or theft in the United States can have serious consequences beyond legal problems including visa cancellation.
The embassy said in an official message, “Attack, theft, or stealing in the United States will not just cause you legal issues – it can cancel your visa and make you unqualified for future US visas. The United States gives importance to law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all American laws,” the embassy said in an official message.
This statement underlines that following American laws is mandatory for all foreign visitors, violations potentially affects future travel eligibility.
Some visa holders come amid increasing concerns over the operation of some visa holders. In such a recent case, an Indian woman allegedly spent more than seven hours inside a target store on 1 May, with a USD 1,300 (about Rs 1.1 lakh) items assembled before trying to leave without allegedly paying. The incident went viral after a store employee faced him, and the footage of the exchange was widely broadcast online.
Exposing the seriousness of its stance, the US Embassy reiterated on Saturday that the visa screening continues even after the visa is continued, stressing that criminal behavior can not only endanger a person’s current visa status, but also affect their eligibility for future entry into the country.
The embassy said in a post on X, “Visa screening does not stop after a visa is released. We constantly check the visa holders to ensure that they all follow American laws and immigration rules – and we will cancel their visa and exhale them if they do not.”
This statement outlines the ongoing efforts of the United States to ensure compliance with its immigration laws and confirms that visa holders should strictly follow all legal requirements during their stay.
As part of the widespread efforts to tighten the screening, a related announcement was made last month. In a step aimed at strengthening visa screening processes, the United States has announced that all individuals applying for immediate effective, F, M, or J non-migrant visa need to adjust privacy settings on all their social media accounts, which is required to ‘public’ to ‘public’ to establish its identity and acceptance in the United States under the US law.
In a post on X, the official handle of the US Embassy in India (@usandindia) shared the announcement, saying, “Each visa assistant is a national security decision. All individuals applying for effective, F, M, or J non-resident visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on their individual social media accounts.”
It was also reiterated that since 2019, the United States requires visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and non-resident visa applications.
The Post said: “We use all the available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify the visa applicants that are unfair to the United States, including them that threatens American national security.”
Meanwhile, the US government has also unveiled a new 2025 travel ban, in which citizens of 12 countries have been completely and partially halted by limiting visa reach from seven other people. This step prioritizes national security and focuses on high -risk countries for security flaws and terrorism concerns. Most affected countries are reportedly in the Middle East and Africa.
Citizens of these countries now face a total ban on immigrant and non-immigrant visas, including those for tourism, education and employment. In addition, seven other countries face partial sanctions, including strict screening or limited visa categories.
Amid growing concern in South Asia, the US has clarified that India is not in the list. The US is continuing applications for Indian citizens in all categories, including B1/B2 tourist visas, H1B work permits and F1 student visas.
However, India’s visa applicants still face long delays due to high demand and administrative backlogs. Most American consulates in India are booking an interview slot from 10–12 months ago.
Therefore, while India is unaffected by the new travel ban, long -term processing time can still affect the plan, education and employment opportunities for many people. (AI)