US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said recent changes to American visa and immigration policies, including those affecting H-1B, F1 and J1 categories, are part of a broader global reform process and are “not targeted at India.”
Speaking during a joint press conference with EAM Dr S Jaishankar, Rubio acknowledged the contribution of Indians and Indian companies to the US economy, while defending Washington’s ongoing immigration reforms amid concerns over tighter visa scrutiny and changing policies.
“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.
He clarified that the recent changes were being implemented worldwide and were not aimed specifically at Indian applicants or professionals.
“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.
‘US Undergoing Immigration Reform’
Rubio said the United States was currently dealing with the effects of illegal migration and was overhauling its immigration framework to suit present-day realities.
“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 stated.
Calling immigration policy a matter of national interest, Rubio said every country has the right to regulate who enters its borders and under what conditions.
“Everything that you do as a country needs to be in your national interest, and that includes your immigration policy,” he said.
Rubio also described the United States as “the most welcoming country in the world on immigration,” noting that nearly one million people become permanent residents every year.
“My parents entered the United States as permanent residents in 1956 from Cuba. It’s a process that’s enriched us,” he said.
However, he added that immigration systems must evolve with changing times. “It has to be a process that’s adjusted in every era to the realities of the modern times in which you live,” Rubio remarked.
‘There Will Be Friction Points’
The US Secretary of State acknowledged that any large-scale reform process would create transitional difficulties for applicants and stakeholders.
“Anytime you undertake a reform, 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,” he said.
Reiterating that the policy changes were not India-focused, Rubio added, “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,” he said, adding that the US ultimately hopes to build “a better system, a more efficient system.”
Strategic Partnership In Focus
Rubio’s remarks came as India and the United States held high-level delegation talks in New Delhi led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Rubio himself.
Jaishankar described the India-US relationship as a “Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership” with growing cooperation across defence, trade, technology, energy and connectivity sectors.
Rubio said the relationship between the two countries goes beyond a traditional alliance.
“The United States and India aren’t just allies; we’re strategic allies, and that’s of critical importance,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after arriving in New Delhi. Before reaching the capital, he began his India visit in Kolkata, where he visited the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa.
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