Trump Administration Guarantees Visa Vetting Standards

Immigration Standards and Visa Policies Discussed by State Department

During a recent appearance, Tommy Piggott, the chief deputy press secretary for the US State Department, mentioned that the Trump administration had confirmed the existence of immigration standards.

Host Mike Slater brought up statements from former Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti. Garcetti noted that since he took his post, visa issuance has increased by over 60 percent, claiming that the wait times for all visa types have vanished.

Slater highlighted that for two consecutive years, more than one million nonimmigrant visas have been issued, including a record number of visitor visas. Over five million Indians now hold multi-year, multi-use U.S. visas. He questioned whether this was a point of pride for the Ambassador and inquired about the current activities at the State Department.

Piggott responded by asserting that the focus on visas is tied to ensuring that applicants meet screening criteria. He emphasized that these standards are essential for national security and preventing law violations. If someone breaks the law after entering the U.S., they could be considered a threat. “If necessary, we will revoke the visa if it violates its expiry date,” he added.

He also mentioned that specific policies are being implemented for certain countries known for high overstay rates, to prevent illegal immigration. Piggott stressed that they’re serious about not tolerating illegal immigration in any form, particularly overstaying visas, which often gets overlooked in discussions.

“We often think about the southwest border, where there are significant issues with visa overstays,” he noted. One new initiative is a visa deposit policy: visa applicants pay a deposit, fully refundable upon returning home. “Countries that adopted this have seen overstay rates drop sharply,” he said, pointing out the success of this approach, with deposits potentially reaching up to $15,000.