Students can apply for US visa, India important partner: US State Departments Deputy Spokesperson
The US State Department's Deputy Spokesperson, Mignon Houston, announced the reopening of student visa applications. While encouraging applications, she stressed that national security is paramount in all visa decisions.
Kolkata: Mignon Houston, the Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, has said that student visa applications for the country are now open. While she encouraged students to apply for the US visa, she also said that all decisions regarding that will be taken based on the national security of the country.
Houston told ANI, "Our student visa applications have opened, students can apply and submit their application but what we want students to understand when they're applying for that visa, we want them to understand that we want to see a use of that visa that is in line with their application and the students come to the United States and study and not obstruct students from studying in class, not to vandalize campuses."
She also said, "Every decision we make is a US national security decision. We have these policies with the US immigration law to ensure that we are holding the highest standard for US immigration... not only to protect US citizens but also the other students studying here."
'India is an important partner of the US'
Also, she called India an important partner of the US in the Indo-Pacific region amid bilateral trade talks between the two nations. She said that the US's objective is to establish a "fair and reciprocal" trade relationship with its partners, which would align with the "America First" agenda of Donald Trump's administration.
She told ANI, "We want trade that is fair and reciprocal. Working closely, India is an essential partner in the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. We expect that all our partners understand why this is so important to the 'America First' agenda, that we look for trade policies that have a fairness, reciprocal, balanced way to ensure that all parties benefit."
Houston defended the US government's policy to impose tariffs, and said, "I can say writ large as it relates to the United States' position that these tariffs are a way for countries to meet us at a place of fairness. The United States has an open economy, but there are unfair trade policies that have impacted US farmers and industries."