'Face jail and deportation if...': US issues fresh warning for Indian travellers on illegal migration

In a series of stern advisories this month, the U.S. Embassy in India has issued fresh warnings to visa applicants and potential illegal migrants, doubling down on enforcement measures and tightening vetting protocols. The latest message leaves no ambiguity: illegal entry into the United States will lead to detention, deportation, and permanent visa ineligibility.

“The United States has increased enforcement of immigration laws and removal of illegal aliens,” the Embassy posted in a new statement. “Illegal entry into the United States will lead to detention, deportation, and permanent consequences for future visa eligibility.”

The warning adds: “Those who enter the United States illegally will face jail time and deportation. Embarking on a costly and dangerous journey will land you in jail or back in your homeland with a permanent mark on your record.”

This follows an earlier notification this week targeting international student visa categories. The embassy announced that F, M, and J visa applicants, typically students, vocational trainees, and exchange visitors, must now switch all personal social media accounts to public, effective immediately.

“All individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States,” the embassy posted on X.

Since 2019, applicants have been required to submit social media identifiers. The current move tightens scrutiny further, with the embassy noting: “We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.”

Reiterating the government's broader immigration stance, the U.S. State Department stated that “obtaining a visa is a privilege, not a right.” The screening process continues even after a visa is issued and may result in revocation if laws are broken.

“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests,” the department added. It emphasised that all applicants must credibly demonstrate both eligibility and an intent to comply with visa conditions.