Indian missions in US in touch with students facing visa issues: MEA

NEW DELHI : Indian missions in the United States are in touch with Indian students facing issues relating to revocation of visas and extending possible support to them, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The comments by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came amid instances of Indian students in the US receiving communications from local authorities on possible revocation of their visas.

"We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F-1 visa status, which happens to be the student visa," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing here. "We are looking into the matter. Our embassy and consulates, they are in touch with the students to provide support," he said.

Jaiswal was responding to a question on several Indian students receiving communications from US authorities under the Donald Trump administration on possible revocation of their visas.

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According to reports, an Indian was among four students at Michigan public universities who filed a lawsuit against their possible deportation after their student immigration status was terminated. Chinmay Deore from India was among the students who filed the lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and immigration officials.

The students argued that their immigration status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) was illegally terminated, "without sufficient notice and explanation". The SEVIS is a database that tracks information about non-immigrant students and exchange visitors in the US.