Indian hopes of making it in the US fading with Trump migration freeze threat

INDIANS who migrate to the U.S. seeking new opportunities represent an asset to the host economy said the owner of an immigration assistance agency in New Delhi on Friday (November 28) adding it would be a shame to stem the flow.

AI Brief

Trump announced a permanent pause on migration from "Third World countries" after an Afghan national's attack near the White House.
The move affects visas approved under Biden and cancels the drop box facility, forcing Indian applicants to attend interviews.
Experts warn students and visa seekers face major financial and logistical hurdles, risking their US education plans.

He was responding to U.S. President Donald Trump saying on Thursday (November 27) that his administration will "permanently pause" migration from all "Third World Countries", following the death of a National Guard member in an attack near the White House.

The comments mark a further escalation of migration measures Trump has ordered since the shooting on Wednesday (November 26) that investigators say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a resettlement program.

Trump did not identify any countries by name or explain what he meant by third-world countries or "permanently pause". He said the plan would include cases approved under former President Joe Biden's administration.

Visawaale owner, Imran Khan, who operates a visa facilitation company based out of Delhi, said very few visas for the U.S. were being issued at the moment and that the drop box facility, or Interview Waiver Program (IWP), had been cancelled meaning Indian nationals would have to be interviewed again when re-applying for visas.

Students who are already burdened with financial and logistical constraints will be impacted by this decision, as they might have to give up on their dreams of studying in the U.S, said Varun Thakur, founder of Leverage Edu, a company offering immigration assistance to aspirants.