Large-Scale Visa Revocations Reported
The United States government has taken yet another step in vetting H-1B visas. As a precaution, it has temporarily revoked a considerable number of H-1B and H-4 visas. According to reports, affected visa holders have received emails from US consulates regarding the revocation. This comes after social media screening for H-1B and H-4 visa applicants recently began.
Its revocation is not permanent.
Immigration attorney Emily Neumann explained this is not a permanent visa revocation. She said that a prudential revocation does not take away a person’s legal privilege to remain in the United States. However, the revocation may be reviewed during the individual’s next visa interview and may further scrutinize future applications.
Prudential Visa Revocation means the cancellation of a visa out of precaution
Prudential revocation of visas occurs when the US Department of State has questions regarding an individual's eligibility for a visa. The department may temporarily revoke a visa as a matter of discretion. In this case:
- The visa holder can continue to stay in the United States until the visa expires - The visa holder cannot use the visa for re-entry into the US.
- The holder is not allowed to travel outside of the US with the revoked visa
- The visa stamp remains invalid until the temporary suspension is lifted.
Social Media Vetting:
The US government has recently started a review process of the online presence of each visa applicant. This applies to H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J visa categories. Applicants are supposed to change their social media accounts from private to public for review purposes.
Impact on Visa Interviews
The new vetting rules have caused delays in interviews for many applicants of H-1B visas. It is one of those circumstances that has affected people hailing from not only India but several other countries as well.
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