US announces visa restrictions on travel agencies based in India facilitating illegal immigration, ET TravelWorld

The US on Monday said that it is imposing visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies in India for knowingly facilitating “illegal immigration” to the United States. “Mission India’s Consular Affairs and Diplomatic Security Service work every day across our Embassy and Consulates to actively identify and target those engaged in facilitating illegal immigration and human smuggling and trafficking operations,” the State Department said in a statement.

The Department of State is “taking steps today to impose visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies based and operating in India for knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to the United States”, it said.

The statement added that the US will “continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks“.

“Our immigration policy aims not only to inform foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration to the United States but also to hold accountable individuals who violate our laws, including facilitators of illegal immigration,” the State Department said, adding that enforcing US immigration laws and policies is critical to upholding the rule of law and protecting Americans.

It said this visa restriction policy is global and even applies to individuals who otherwise qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme.

When asked about the travel agencies and people against whom visa restrictions have been effected, a US embassy official in New Delhi said the details cannot be provided.

We cannot provide a list of individuals or travel agencies the United States is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on due to visa record confidentiality, the official added.