US Visa Policy Under Scrutiny, Concerns Rise Over Fairness and Transparency for Indian Applicants

The Indian applicants have been put under the scrutiny of the US visa process once again after a journalist, R. Shivshankar, expressed grave concerns over the cases of discrimination and unfair treatment. Shivshankar also asked why there was a haphazard denial of Indian visa applications, particularly those of the students and young professionals, in one of the viral tweets that he posted.

His tweet has sparked discussion online about the institutional challenges faced by thousands of Indian visa applicants; many spend their time, money, and academic hopes to gain entry to the United States.

Rising Rejection Rates and Growing Discontent

As per the latest news, the student visa and tourist visa rejection beam strings to India have risen to a large extent in the last few months. Such applicants failed confirmations even after availing full documentation touches supported with good and solid financial evidence and valid academic bases of admissions.

Shivshankar mentioned a particular example when one of the eligible Indian students was refused his visa without any stated reason. Numerous netizens have reacted to this by telling their own experiences of shameful interviews, protracted delays, and volatile decisions that consulate body officers make.

These increased denials are getting people concerned about whether Indian nationals are being discriminated against in the name of increased screening.

Political and Diplomatic Fallout

The problem has started to take a political turn. Indian legislators have asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to raise the issue with US officials. It is not only a matter of personal inconvenience but also of what impact these practices can have on India-US relations when each country is interested in strengthening ties in terms of strategic and economic ties.

It is also likely to turn off students interested in education in the US, say the analysts who predict a possible inclination to Canada, the UK, or Australia, where some of the visa procedures are reported to be more favourable to the applicant.

The Call for Transparency

Clearness and consistency are what most of the critics want. They suggest that it should not be a matter of rejection due to personal opinion but on objective grounds. As a solution, greater transparency in consulate work and the use of digital status tracking are being proposed.