India had the highest number of visa violations in the US last year, with 7,000 Indian students staying in the US despite their visas expiring. US immigration expert Jessica M Vaughan said that after India, Brazil and China come in second place. After this, around 2,000 students from each country ignored the visa expiry and stayed in the US even after the stipulated time limit. Speaking before the US House Committee on the Judiciary, Vaughan warned that among all temporary visa categories, the highest number of those violating the stipulated time limit are those in the F-1 (academic student) and M-1 (vocational student) visa categories. Vaughan, a policy analyst at the Center for Immigration Studies, said that the current system is too lenient, which allows students to abuse their visa status. He suggested implementing strict rules to ensure that students return home after their studies. He criticized the two-pronged policy that encourages students to stay in the US after graduation.
Vaughan suggested implementing stricter controls and stricter penalties on schools. He said that schools with a large number of students in case of visa overstay should lose their right to invite foreign students. He stressed the need for major reforms in the work visa program, including the H-1B visa, in addition to student visas. He suggested that the H-B visa category be cut by 75,000 annually and that preference be given to employers offering higher wages. Rejecting claims of a labor shortage, Vaughan said that the US should focus on recruiting American workers before implementing foreign work programs.
