Several foreign students in the US, including Indians, have received official emails from authorities asking them to self-deport. The emails sent by the Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office on behalf of the US Department of State notified that their F-1 student visas have been revoked.
While the authorities had earlier targeted students who took part in campus protests, they have now cracked down on those who have posted "anti-US" posts on social media. These include those who post in support of Hamas as well as on pro-Palestinian issues.
The emails stated that the authorities received information regarding their activities and hence their F-1 visas have been revoked as per the US Immigration and Nationality Act Section 221(i). The Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office stated that the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement will get in touch with the college officials regarding the visa cancellation.
It also warned that students that staying in the US without a valid visa can make them ineligible for a future visa and result in fines and detention.
The bureau advised students with cancelled visa to self-deport using CBP Home App. If they fail to do so, the US agency said the students may not be able to secure their possessions if the authorities are forced to deport them. It also warned the students that they could be deported to any other country and not necessarily their country of origin.
F-1 visas are given to foreigners who pursue academinc study. However, a report by The Times of India suggests that the crackdown will also target those who hold M visas (vocational study) and J visas (exchange students).
In 2023, the US consular team in India had processed a record 14 lakh visas overall and issued 1.4 lakh student visas.
The US Embassy in India recently announced cancellation of 2,000 visa appointments created by bots. "We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies," the embassy posted.