WASHINGTON: Over 7, 000 scholar and trade visitors from India overstayed in the US in 2023, an analyst told lawmakers and suggested some reforms in America’s emigration policies, including those related to H-1B permits.
During a hearing on” Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America,” Jessica Aughan from the Center for Immigration Studies told the US House Committee on the Judiciary that as many as 32 countries have student/exchange visitor overstay rates of higher than 20 %. The F and M card types have the highest starring costs for the temporary entrance group.
The F-1 card allows a person to enter the US as a full-time scholar at an accredited educational institution. The M-1 group includes kids in technical or other non-academic programs.
” Four places- Brazil, China, Colombia and India- each had more than 2, 000 of their people overstaying student/exchange permits in 2023, with India having the highest amount (7, 000 )”, Vaughan said on Wednesday.
” First, the concept of dual purpose may not apply to undergraduate immigration applicants, instead, each person may be required to show an intention and likelihood to return to their home country after studies”, she added.
Vaughan argued that there should be no automatic extension based on a Green Card petition, and that visas for workers ‘ speciality occupations (H-1B ) should be limited to two years with a potential extension to four years.
