US secretary of state Marco Rubio made it clear that the United States’ visa policy does not automatically entitle a student to a visa. Speaking in detail to Ben Shapiro, Rubio said, “No one. It’s not a constitutional right. It’s not guaranteed by law. Every day, consular officers deny visas for all kinds of reasons, suspicion of overstaying, criminal associations, whatever it may be. Visas are denied worldwide daily. No one is entitled to one.”Rubio explained that there is a common misconception that applicants are automatically allowed entry unless a reason to deny the visa is found. “That’s not true. The burden of proof is the other way around,” he said.Rubio weighed in on national security concerns, saying, if a student visa applicant openly supports terrorist organisations like Hamas, or anything that goes against the principles of American policies, they would likely be denied entry. “We probably wouldn’t let them in — and we shouldn’t,” Rubio added. He clarified that if such support becomes evident after someone has already entered the US, the visa should still be revoked, even though it may take extra formalities. “If we later discover information that would have led to denial in the first place, that’s grounds for revocation,” he said.Rubio focused on Trump’s ‘America First’ stance in his brief explanation. “It’s not in the national interest, or our foreign policy or national security interest, to bring people onto our campuses who aren’t just studying but are also promoting or excusing terrorist organisations committed to violence and destruction.”The secretary concluded and reaffirmed that the government’s authority is supreme: “So we have the right to deny visas before entry and revoke them after entry if someone’s presence undermines our national security or interests. That’s exactly what we intend to do.” His comments come as US President Donald Trump took a softer stance on H1-B visas. In a Fox News interview earlier this month, the MAGA chief said that the United States lacks talent and needs foreign skilled workers from abroad to fill critical roles such as tech and defence. The conservative Republican base grew angry and accused Trump of betraying the GOP’s hardline immigration principles.
