Now Reading: US visa pause may push Indians to Southeast Asia
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US visa pause may push Indians to Southeast Asia
The US State Department has paused immigrant visa appointments globally for a training initiative on the 'public charge' rule, creating uncertainty for Indian travellers heading to the US. The measure applies only…
The US State Department has paused immigrant visa appointments globally for a training initiative on the 'public charge' rule, creating uncertainty for Indian travellers heading to the US. The measure applies only to approved green card holders, not H-1B or student visa applicants, but industry executives warn the confusion may slow bookings. India is the second-largest overseas source market for the US, with over 2.06 million residents travelling there in 2025.
Travel industry bodies said Indians may defer US trips or switch to alternative destinations like Southeast Asia and domestic locations, which offer easier visas and shorter flying times. Airlines operating the India-US route face added pressure: nonstop flights have fallen from 97 to 42 per week since early 2025 due to geopolitical disruptions. Cleartrip said it was too early to gauge the impact, while Yatra Online expected a slowdown in US-bound bookings and a shift toward refundable tickets.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The US State Department's 'public charge' training requirement is a procedural step in a long-standing immigration rule, not a new policy. Under the 2019 public charge rule, an applicant who is likely to become dependent on government benefits can be denied a green card. The pause hits the final stage of the green card process for approved applicants already in India. With India-US direct flights down by more than half since early 2025 due to airspace restrictions, any dip in travel demand will hurt airlines that had bet on the India-US corridor for growth. The next concrete number to watch is the ministry of tourism's monthly departure data for the July-September quarter, which will show whether the dip seen in first-half 2026 deepened or stabilised.
Source: rediff.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
