'Not targeted at India': Marco Rubio defends US visa changes amid concerns over H-1B, student visas

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday sought to reassure Indians concerned about recent changes to American visa and immigration policies, saying the reforms are part of a broader overhaul of the US migration system and are "not India-specific."

Speaking during a joint press conference, Rubio, currently in India on a four-day visit, acknowledged the contribution of Indian businesses and immigrants to the US economy, even as the Donald Trump administration pushes ahead with changes to immigration procedures.

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"First of all, I accept the contribution that Indians have made to the U.S. economy. Over $20 billion has been invested in the U.S economy by Indian companies. We want that number to continue to increase," Rubio said.

Addressing concerns around changes affecting J-1, F-1 and H-1B visa holders, Rubio stressed that the reforms are being applied globally. "The changes that are happening now, or the modernisation of our migration system into the United States, are not India-specific; it is global, it's being applied across the world," he said.

Rubio said the United States was undertaking a long-overdue overhaul of its immigration system after facing a migration crisis in recent years. "We've had a migratory crisis in the United States. This is not because of India, but broadly, we have had over 20 million people illegally enter the United States over the last few years, and we've had to address that challenge," he said.

The Secretary of State said every country must shape its immigration policy according to its national interests. "Everything that you do as a country needs to be in your national interest, and that includes your immigration policy," Rubio said, while describing the US as "the most welcoming country in the world on immigration."

He noted that roughly one million people become permanent residents of the United States every year and said immigration has historically enriched the country. However, he argued that the system must evolve with changing circumstances.

"The United States is currently undergoing a process of reforming the system by which we choose how many people come into our country, who comes in, when they come in, et cetera," Rubio said.

He acknowledged that the transition could create difficulties for some applicants. Anytime you undertake a reform, he added, any time you undertake a change in the system by which you admit people, "there's going to be a period of transition that's going to create some friction points and some difficulties and so forth."

Reiterating that the changes are not aimed at India, Rubio said: "It is not a system that is targeted at India; it is one that's being applied globally."

"But we're in a period of transition, and like any period of transition, there's going to be some bumps on that road. But we think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system, a more efficient system, one that works better than the one that we had in place previously and more sustainable by the way," he added.

Rubio's remarks come amid concern among immigrants and visa applicants following a recent Trump administration directive requiring most green card applicants to apply for permanent residency from outside the US through embassies or consulates abroad, except in extraordinary circumstances.

The Department of Homeland Security said on Friday that temporary residents seeking a green card would generally have to return to their home country to apply, arguing that the move would ensure the immigration system functions "as the law intended."

However, the DHS later clarified that current H-1B visa holders would be able to continue on their existing pathway. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services also indicated that H-1B holders and other high-skilled workers may not be immediately affected by the changes, easing concerns among Indian professionals working in the US.