Ramping up its already strict immigration rules, the Trump administration has confirmed through its official X account that the visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. The US Department of State stated visa holders are continuously monitored to ensure that they are complying with all US laws and immigration rules. This came along with a warning that those who fail to abide by these rules, may face revocation of visa or face deportation.
U.S. visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all U.S. laws and immigration rules – and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t. pic.twitter.com/aZsnUTnXGP
— Department of State (@StateDept) March 17, 2025
A Green Card or Permanent Residency Card grants individuals to work and live permanently in the United States. However, JD Vance has emphasised that having a Green Card does not guarantee indefinite residency. In an interview with Fox news, he said even if he had a favourable opinion of a Green Card holder, the individual still won’t have an indefinite right to stay in the United States.
The State Department has reiterated this claim, stating that screening continues even after the visa is issued.
Conservatives of the country are pushing for policies that are making it difficult for immigrants – documented or undocumented – citing economic and national security reasons.
This has caused anxiety among Indian Green Card holders, particularly elderly people who spend the colder months in their home country and the rest in the US. Per TOI, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) officers target such individuals upon their return and pressurise them to sign Form I-407. The form is used to voluntarily abandon your status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States. People who resist face threats of deportation or detention. Officials interpret such prolonged stays abroad as a sign they no longer intend to stay in the US permanently.
This process has made people feel trapped and unable to visit their home country as they fear risking their status in the US. Immigration lawyers see this as an overreach by the CBP officers. However, elderly people might feel threatened to sign Form I-407.
India has been one of the largest sources of legal immigration for the US but uncertainty about Green Card holders has made people unsure of going ahead with the process.