WASHINGTON: Over 7,000 student and exchange visitors from India overstayed in the US in 2023, an expert told lawmakers and suggested several reforms in America’s immigration policies, including those related to H-1B visas.
As many as 32 countries have student/exchange visitor overstay rates of higher than 20%, Jessica aughan from the Centre for Immigration Studies told the US House Committee on the Judiciary during a hearing on “Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America”. The F and M visa categories have the highest overstay rates in temporary admission category.
The F-1 visa allows a person to enter the US as a full-time student at an accredited academic institution. The M-1 category includes students in vocational or other non-academic programmes.
“Four countries – Brazil, China, Colombia and India – each had more than 2,000 of their citizens overstaying student/exchange visas in 2023, with India having the highest number (7,000),” Vaughan said on Wednesday.
“First, the concept of dual intent should not apply to student visa applicants; instead, each applicant should be required to demonstrate an intent and likelihood to return to their home country after studies,” she added.
Vaughan said visas for workers’ speciality occupations (H-1B) should be limited to two years with a possible extension to four years, and there should be no automatic extension based on a Green Card petition.
