U.S. to impose visa restrictions on Indian travel agents who facilitate illegal immigration

A U.S. military plane that brought back Indian immigrants on February 5, 2025. The U.S. said that they had been found to be staying in the country illegally. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The United States on Monday (May 19, 2025) announced that steps are being taken to impose visa restrictions on “owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies” based in India for “knowingly” facilitating illegal immigration to the U.S.

“The Department of State is taking steps today to impose visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies based and operating in India for knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to the United States,” Tammy Bruce, spokesperson of the Department of State, said in an announcement.

The U.S. authorities have not shared the list of individuals who will face visa restrictions at the moment. The U.S. Embassy in response to a query from the media said that the names cannot be shared “due to visa record confidentiality”.

The announcement comes months after the U.S. began deportation of Indian nationals who were found to be staying there illegally. In February, the U.S. repatriated around 330 Indian nationals, signifying the position of the Donald Trump administration on stopping illegal immigration into the U.S. The matter is believed to have been discussed during U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance’s visit to India last month.

Measures against trafficking

The Department of State’s spokesperson also stated that officials were working daily in the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India “to actively identify and target those engaged in facilitating illegal immigration and human smuggling and trafficking operations.”

“We will continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks. Our immigration policy aims not only to inform foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration to the U.S. but also to hold accountable individuals who violate our laws, including facilitators of illegal immigration,” said the spokesperson, adding that “this visa restriction policy is global and even applies to individuals who otherwise qualify for the visa waiver program.”