America has canceled 85 thousand visas. The US State Department said on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) that after the tightening of immigration rules, 85 thousand visas have been canceled since January, the reason for which has been said to be incidents of assault and theft. The State Department said that people involved in such crimes are a direct threat to American citizens.

The Ministry of External Affairs has given this information through a post on the social media platform X. In the post, the department wrote, ‘Since January till now 85,000 visas have been cancelled. President Donald Trump and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio are not going to stop it at the moment, it will continue. A photo of Donald Trump has also been shared with the post, in which he is seen with the slogan ‘Make America Safe Again’. This post is an indication that this action regarding visas is the center point of the Trump administration’s security agenda.

According to CNN, the US State Department said that more than 8000 student visas have been canceled. The State Department says that this time twice as many visas have been canceled as compared to last year. The ministry also said that most of the visas have been canceled in view of the incidents of driving under influence, assault and theft as the people involved in such incidents are a direct threat to American citizens.

There could be many other reasons behind the cancellation of such a large number of visas, which the Trump administration has mentioned earlier, which include overstaying in the US, criminal activities and supporting terrorism.

CNN’s report also said that the Trump administration is targeting students who are involved in protests against Gaza and who are accused of being anti-Semites and supporting extremist groups.

America has also postponed the appointment date for Indian applicants of H1-B visa. The US Embassy in India has posted on Twitter that the appointment date has been postponed to 2026, so they should come to the Consulate for the interview on the new date instead of the previous date.

America has implemented a new rule for H1-B and H-4 visas that now all the social media accounts of every applicant including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Snapchat will be checked. This process is starting from December 15, due to which the appointment date of the applicants has been extended by 3-4 months.

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The Donald Trump administration in America is again moving towards major changes in the H-1B visa program. While earlier a mandatory fee of $100,000 (about Rs 83 lakh) was proposed, now the administration is preparing to further tighten the rules related to visa eligibility, usage and responsibilities of employers.

This proposal is included in the new regulatory agenda of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It has been included in the Federal Register under the H-1B Non-Immigrant Visa Classification Program Improvement. The purpose of the new rules is to prevent misuse of visas, hold employers accountable and protect the rights of American workers.

Outline of major changes
The new proposal includes several administrative and technical amendments. These include changes in the eligibility standards for Cap Exemption, tightening scrutiny of employers who violate the terms of the program, increasing monitoring of third-party placements and ensuring transparency. DHS says this step is necessary to maintain the integrity of the H-1B program and ensure the protection of wages and working conditions of American workers.

Impact on exempted institutions
At present it is not clear whether the cap-exemption to universities, research institutes and non-profit health organizations will be limited or not. This will be something to see. However, if this happens, it can have a deep impact on areas like education, research and health.

When will the new rule come into effect?
According to the regulatory notice, the new rule may be implemented in December 2025. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also considering replacing the traditional lottery process with a wage-based selection system for H-1B visas. With this, priority will be given to applicants with higher salaries.

Impact on Indian professionals
The biggest impact of the new proposals will be on young professionals from India and China, who work in large numbers in America’s tech and medical industries. According to Pew Research Center, about 74% of the H-1B visas approved in 2023 were in the names of Indian citizens. Most of these are related to computer and IT sector.

What is H-1B visa?
The H-1B visa is a temporary work visa that allows American companies to hire highly-skilled foreign professionals. This visa was started under the Immigration Act of 1990. Each year 65,000 ordinary visas and 20,000 additional visas are issued to US master’s or higher degree holders. Universities and research institutes are exempted from this limit.

Accountability of employers will increase
According to US law, H-1B visa holders should be paid the same or more than American employees, but the administration fears that many companies do not follow this rule. The new proposal talks about tightening the pay reporting and transparency standards of companies.

potential consequences
If H-1B visa reforms are implemented, the visa process could become more expensive and fees could reach $100,000. The ban on exempted organizations will affect the education and health sectors. Delay in visa approval and investigation process may increase. There is a possibility of a decline in the number of visa applications from India.

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Indian Student Visa Cancellation: The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has released a report, stating that 50 percent of the American students whose visas were canceled were Indian students. This investigation was conducted on 327 visa cancellation cases during the Donald Trump government. It was found that India is the most affected country. This is followed by China’s number, where 14 percent of the students’ visas were canceled.

It was also told in the report that more than half of the people whose visas were canceled were students who were on optional practical training (OPT). This means that he had completed his studies and was working in America.

Surprising revelations in the report

The Trump administration said that there is some reason behind the cancellation of the visa and the biggest reason for this can be to join political protests. The report states that out of the 327 cases which were investigated, only two students had a history of any such political opposition.

The lawyers’ institution said that 86% of the students said that they had somehow a conversation with the police, but 33% of these cases were later rejected. He was neither accused nor a case. It was also told in the report that two students talking to the police were going to complain in cases of domestic violence, that is, they themselves were victims. There were cases of breaking minor rules related to fast vehicles or parking on some other students.

Association raised questions

The association said that these cases clearly show that transparency, monitoring and responsibility are necessary to cancel the visa and prevent SEVIS (student and exchange visitor information system) records without solid reason. He also said that students should find an easy way to appeal against the termination of SEVIS so that they can keep their point without losing their jobs or bringing the university in the middle. The number of such cases is very high, so it becomes even more important.

The report states that according to a trusted source, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has finished 4,736 SEVIS records since 20 January 2025. More of these students were on F1 visa status. Only 14 percent of the students said that they had received any notice from the ICE and all these students were on OPT (Optional Practical Training). He received a letter in which it was written that his opt has now been abolished. About 7 percent of the students said that they neither received any information from the ICE nor did any notice from their colleges.