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Tag: visa
May 27, 2025
News

Trump Suspends Importation of Foreign Students.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Trump administration has instructed U.S. missions abroad to halt new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as it reviews and plans to expand social media vetting.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump’s administration, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, and foreign students.

📍 Where & When: U.S. missions worldwide, as of a cable sent Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

⚠️ Impact: The move impacts international students and exchange visitors. Last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive revoking Harvard University’s certification to enroll foreign students.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has directed U.S. missions overseas to cease scheduling new appointments for foreign student and exchange visitor visa applicants while it reviews and prepares to implement expanded social media vetting processes, according to an internal State Department cable. According to the cable, attributed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department plans to update procedures for screening foreign students under F, M, and J visa categories. It advises consular sections to suspend new appointments, though existing ones may proceed under current guidelines.

“The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants and plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants,” the cable states.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, while declining to comment on the cable, emphasized the administration’s commitment to rigorous vetting. “We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce said during a press briefing. The expanded vetting process is expected to require adjustments to resources and operations at consular sections globally. Additionally, the cable underscores prioritizing services for U.S. citizens, immigrant visas, and fraud prevention amid these changes.

The National Pulse reported last week that the Trump administration had moved to revoke Harvard University‘s ability to import foreign students under the student visa program. The decision cites “pro-terrorist conduct” at campus protests and the university’s failure to comply with federal reporting requirements. However, the directive was subsequently temporarily blocked by a federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Notably, Harvard’s foreign student population comprises 27 percent of its total enrollment.

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May 12, 2025
Immigration

US Cancels Mexican Governor’s Visa as Trump-Sheinbaum Tensions Escalate.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The U.S. revoked tourist visas for Mexico’s Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Avila and her husband, Carlos Torres.

👥 Who’s Involved: Governor Marina del Pilar Avila, her husband Carlos Torres, and the U.S. State Department.

📍 Where & When: Baja California, Mexico; announcement made on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “I make this information public with responsibility and transparency, not only to avoid speculation but also to limit political opponents’ misuse of this situation,” Carlos Torres said.

⚠️ Impact: The visa revocation raises questions about U.S.-Mexico relations, though the issue may stem from Avila and Torres’s abuse of temporary tourism visas to conduct Mexican government business in the United States.

IN FULL:

The United States has revoked tourist visas for Marina del Pilar Avila, the governor of Mexico’s Baja California state, and her husband, Carlos Torres, who also serves as the state’s coordinator of special projects. Governor Avila announced the development on Sunday through a post to X (formerly Twitter).

Avila stated that no formal accusations, investigations, or incidents had been raised against her or her husband in either Mexico or the United States. Meanwhile, Torres claims the revocations are part of a broader pattern of administrative actions by the U.S. State Department against Mexican officials. “Currently, the application of these administrative criteria has become increasingly common and, like so many others, I am included in that universe,” Torres said.

The couple’s visas were reportedly revoked shortly after a visit to San Diego, where they promoted tourism in Baja California. While the U.S. State Department has not given an official reason for the revocation, it could stem from the couple engaging in cross-border tourism as Mexican government officials while in the United States on tourism visas.

Notably, if Avila and Torres only held B1/B2 temporary visas—used for short business trips and tourism—they would be barred from engaging in official Mexican government business while in the country. Diplomats and foreign government officials undertaking official business are required to obtain an A1/A2 visa.

Some reports suggest 2019 pictures of Avila with Emmanuel ‘El Botas’ Serrano, allegedly linked to Sinaloa Cartel boss Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, could also be a factor, although these have been public knowledge since 2022.

Torres has retained an international immigration attorney to explore legal options, including reopening or reconsidering the decision, or applying for a new visa.

Torres emphasized transparency in addressing the situation, stating, “I make this information public with responsibility and transparency, not only to avoid speculation, but also to limit political opponents’ misuse of this situation.” He also criticized political adversaries, claiming they are “willing to turn any fact into slander if they think it will give them an advantage.”

Governor Avila expressed her support for her husband, describing him as a man of integrity and dedication. “My support for him isn’t just personal, it’s moral and political,” she wrote, adding that the situation requires “composure and prudence” given the complex binational context.

The visa issue follows broader tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, including a recent dispute involving Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her refusal to allow American military intervention in combating drug cartels. Both Avila and Torres are members of Sheinbaum’s Morena party, which has faced criticism from U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

Image by Jads28bc28.

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April 2, 2025
Education
Immigration

Colorado Universities Report DHS Has Revoked Several Student Visas.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked the F-1 visas of nine students from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University.

👥 Who’s Involved: The students affected were from the University of Colorado’s Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses, as well as Colorado State University.

📍 Where & When: Colorado; the situation was reported on April 1, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “If you lie to us and get a visa, then enter the United States, and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we’re going to take away your visa,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

⚠️ Impact: The visa revocations further demonstrate that the Trump administration is serious about removing foreign students engaging in political agitation.

IN FULL:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked the F-1 visas of nine international students attending universities in Colorado, according to statements from the University of Colorado (CU) and Colorado State University (CSU). The impacted students include four from CU and five from CSU.

Specific reasons for the revocations remain unclear, and it is not confirmed whether the students face any criminal accusations. However, last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed that over 300 student visas have been revoked by the Trump administration due to the students having participated in pro-Hamas demonstrations on university campuses.

“If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you’re coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus, we’re not going to give you a visa,” Sec. Rubio said, adding: “If you lie to us and get a visa, then enter the United States, and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we’re going to take away your visa.”

Once an international student’s visa is revoked, they are no longer allowed to remain in the United States, and deportation proceedings can be initiated if they refuse to return to their country of origin. The National Pulse has previously reported on the attempted deportation of former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, allegedly a key instigator of anti-Semitic unrest and intimidation on the school’s campus. Khalil is currently suing the Trump administration to block his deportation and successfully secured a temporary order from a federal judge preventing his immediate removal.

Both CU and CSU have decided not to divulge the identities of the affected students.

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February 25, 2025
William Upton
Breaking

BREAKING: Trump Says U.S. Will End EB-5 Visa Program Abused as a Cheap Way to Buy a Green Card.

President Donald J. Trump and his newly confirmed Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick have announced the United States will soon end the EB-5 visa program. Foreign nationals have abused the program through fraud to cheaply purchase a green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card. The announcement, made as President Trump fielded questions from the press in the Oval Office, marks a significant shakeup in the U.S. visa system.

According to the America First leader, the EB-5 visa program will instead be replaced by what Trump describes as a “Gold Card.” Foreign nationals looking to attain U.S. residency will face a new series of requirements, with Trump floating a $5 million payment to the U.S. Treasury for the purposes of paying down the national debt, along with other guarantees on investments and creating jobs for American workers.

Commerce Secretary Lutnick explained, “So the EB-5 program was really… it was all full of nonsense, make-believe, and fraud. And it was a way to get a green card that was low price. So the President said, rather than having this sort of ridiculous EB-5 program, we’re going to end the EB-5 program, and we’re going to replace it with the Trump Gold Card.”

The abuse of U.S. visa programs has been a major issue for President Trump’s MAGA political base. Shortly before Trump’s inauguration in January, social media descended into a policy fight between the America First leader’s MAGA supporters and billionaire Elon Musk over H-1B visas. The work visa program is rife with fraud and abuse, costing American workers jobs and allowing already wealthy companies to import tens of thousands of cheap foreign workers every year.

WATCH:

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President Donald J. Trump and his newly confirmed Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick have announced the United States will soon end the EB-5 visa program. Foreign nationals have abused the program through fraud to cheaply purchase a green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card. The announcement, made as President Trump fielded questions from the press in the Oval Office, marks a significant shakeup in the U.S. visa system. show more
December 31, 2024
Economy
Immigration

Here’s What Trump Has Previously Said of H1-B Visas.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has heavily criticized the H1-B foreign worker visa program in the past, including comments in 2016 slamming the mass immigration pipeline as being implicitly “unfair” to native-born American workers. These comments stand in stark contrast to the calls by tech billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who are defending H1-Bs and, in Musk’s case, even calling for the program’s expansion.

“First of all, I think and I know the H-1B very well. And it’s something that I frankly use and I shouldn’t be allowed to use it. We shouldn’t have it,” the President-elect said during a 2016 primary debate, pushing back on Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) advocacy for the H1-B program. “Second of all, I think it’s very important to say, well, I’m a businessman and I have to do what I have to do.”

Trump added that the visas harm American workers, calling them “very bad” and “unfair.”

Analysis by The National Pulse has revealed that despite the 85,000 worker cap, in fiscal year 2023, 386,318 new and ongoing H1-B visa holders were approved under the auspices of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). This number far exceeds the statutory cap as some academic and nonprofit institutions engaged in research supposedly critical to the national interest are exempt from the legal employment limits.

Additionally, USCIS data indicates only 22 percent of H1-Bs hold a master’s degree, while just eight percent hold a PhD—suggesting claims the program only applies to “highly skilled” labor is a misnomer at best.

Despite Trump’s earlier criticism of the foreign worker program, the New York Post claims the President-elect is now backing H1-Bs. The newspaper wrote that Trump reportedly told them that he’s “always been in favor of the visas.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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President-elect Donald J. Trump has heavily criticized the H1-B foreign worker visa program in the past, including comments in 2016 slamming the mass immigration pipeline as being implicitly "unfair" to native-born American workers. These comments stand in stark contrast to the calls by tech billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who are defending H1-Bs and, in Musk's case, even calling for the program's expansion. show more
December 30, 2024
William Upton
Analysis
Immigration

DATA: H1-B Visa ‘Caps’ Exceeded, 99.9% Approval Rate, Chain Migration Increasing.

Data analysis by The National Pulse has revealed that industries and companies relying on cheap, foreign labor supplied by the H1-B visa program have grossly undercounted the number of visa holders admitted to the United States each year and its impact on the wages of native-born Americans.

Those supporting cheap, foreign labor visas insist the United States abides by the statutory cap of 65,000 H1-B visas awarded through a lottery system each year—and an additional 20,000 visas reserved for immigrants with advanced secondary degrees created through the 2004 Omnibus. That means, statutorily, 85,000 H1-B visas can theoretically be granted to foreign workers each year. However, according to the U.S. federal government’s mandated reports to Congress, this number is significantly higher.

YOUNG, CHEAP, & TOO MANY. 

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’s (USCIS) FY 2023 report to Congress—currently the most recent public data—the number of H1-B’s filed in the fiscal year was 386,318. These are the total number of visas approved by the federal government. The USCIS report indicates that about one-third of the visas issued in FY 2023 were new—indicating the statutory cap of 85,000 was exceeded, with potentially over 100,000 new H1-Bs being granted. Specific nonprofits and government contractors working in areas deemed critical to American interests can attain unlimited H1-Bs, which is how the newly issued visas in FY 2023 exceeded the statutory cap.

The USCIS report also reveals that only 75,843 H1-B visa workers filed a change of employer petition, suggesting that over 80 percent are essentially handcuffed to their corporate employer. This is significant as it adds credence to critics’ claim that the visa partially suppresses wages by removing negotiating leverage from foreign workers to increase their salary through other job offers.

The average age of an H1-B worker is just 33. Over a third of accepted H1-B visa workers only hold a bachelor’s degree. Only 22 percent held a master’s degree, while just eight percent had a PhD.

The median income of an H1-B worker was $118,000 in FY 2023. According to the Silicon Valley Index, in 2024, the average compensation of workers in Big Tech was around $189,000.

NOT REALLY NEEDED? 

The number of H1-Bs in the United States decreased between FY 2022 and 2023. The report states that 442,043 visas were approved in FY 2022, while 386,318 were approved in FY 2023. This is a 13 percent decrease.

The USCIS data suggests that 99.9 percent of H1-B visa applications were approved in FY 2023.

The report states that 386,559 new or continuing visa applications were filed, and 386,318 were approved. Given the numerous U.S. Department of Justice prosecutions against companies like Cognizant, Infosys, and other H1-B “mills” that essentially outsource American jobs to foreign contractors, the near-100 percent approval rate is worthy of immediate attention.

CHAIN MIGRATION. 

Many approved H1-B workers aren’t coming to the United States by themselves. According to USCIS data, over 55,000 nonimmigrant visa holders—students, tourists, and others–applied for a change in their nonimmigration status in FY 2023. USCIS notes these are primarily spouses or children of H1-B workers.

It is believed that around 200,000 or more family members have accompanied H1-B visa holders to the United States overall. While in theory, the H1-B is not intended to be a dual-track visa program, allowing the holders to attain green card status and a pathway to citizenship eventually, it has increasingly become such a scheme.

In essence, the H1-B has not just become a source of cheap labor but one of several U.S. visa programs that—through abuse and manipulation—serve as a pipeline for mass immigration into America.

Image via Flickr.

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Data analysis by The National Pulse has revealed that industries and companies relying on cheap, foreign labor supplied by the H1-B visa program have grossly undercounted the number of visa holders admitted to the United States each year and its impact on the wages of native-born Americans. show more
November 15, 2024
William Upton
Economy
Immigration

Biden’s DHS Sec Mayorkas Is Drastically Lifting Visa Caps on His Way Out.

The Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing a drastic increase in the H-2B Visa cap for the Fiscal Year 2025. H-2B visas are granted to temporary non-agricultural immigrant workers. In an announcement by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday, the department says it expects to make available an additional 64,716 visas on top of the current cap for the next year.

According to the department, the increase is necessary to meet the demands of American companies specifically operating in the “hospitality and tourism, landscaping, [and] seafood processing” industries. The National Pulse has reported extensively on the replacement of native-born American workers with cheap foreign labor under the Biden-Harris government, and the DHS visa cap announcement is set to exacerbate the problem.

“The Department of Homeland Security is committed to further growing our nation’s strong economy,” Mayorkas said in a statement announcing the move. He added: “By maximizing the use of the H-2B visa program, the Department of Homeland Security is helping to ensure the labor needs of American businesses are met, keeping prices down for consumers while strengthening worker protections and deterring irregular migration to the United States.”

BIDEN’S CHEAP, FOREIGN LABOR. 

Employment data indicates that most of the jobs created under Joe Biden have been taken by foreign-born labor. According to a recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an estimated 1.3 million native-born American workers lost their jobs in August. Meanwhile, the number of foreign-born workers increased by 635,000.

Additionally, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) numbers reveal that labor force participation among foreign-born residents is at nearly 70 percent. Meanwhile, the rate among native-born Americans remains below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

The last-minute decision by DHS appears to be aimed at hampering any attempt by President-elect Donald J. Trump to reduce America’s reliance on cheap immigrant labor and rectify the lack of employment for American citizens.

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The Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing a drastic increase in the H-2B Visa cap for the Fiscal Year 2025. H-2B visas are granted to temporary non-agricultural immigrant workers. In an announcement by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday, the department says it expects to make available an additional 64,716 visas on top of the current cap for the next year. show more
May 28, 2024
Immigration

Illegal Migrants Exposed as DPD Worker Killers.

Four men convicted of fatally beating a DPD delivery driver in Shrewsbury last year were found to be in Britain illegally. Aurman Singh, 23, from Smethwick, sustained severe head injuries after being attacked with an axe, golf club, and hockey stick by a group of eight men. The attackers ambushed Singh during his delivery route, resulting in his death.

Authorities confirmed that four of the men involved in the attack were in Britain illegally due to expired visas. Arshdeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Shivdeep Singh, and Manjot Singh have each been sentenced to life in prison. The police disclosed that these individuals had overstayed their visas. In accordance with British law, any foreign national sentenced to at least 12 months in prison faces a deportation order. The men may now be deported to India to serve the remainder of their sentences.

The court also convicted Sukhmandeep Singh, who was legally residing in the UK, of manslaughter last month. He received a 10-year prison sentence for his role in assisting the attackers by helping them locate Aurman Singh. Sukhmandeep Singh was acquitted of the murder charge.

The incident saw the attackers fleeing in two cars, and footage later emerged showing them discarding the axe used in the attack in a bin. The case has raised concerns over immigration enforcement and the tracking of individuals with expired visas.

In 2023, the British government issued 1.4 million visas and approved a record number of asylum applications, leading one Member of Parliament to write that “Britain will be unrecognisable if this carries on.”

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Four men convicted of fatally beating a DPD delivery driver in Shrewsbury last year were found to be in Britain illegally. Aurman Singh, 23, from Smethwick, sustained severe head injuries after being attacked with an axe, golf club, and hockey stick by a group of eight men. The attackers ambushed Singh during his delivery route, resulting in his death. show more
April 24, 2024
Immigration

Illegals Sent By DeSantis to Martha’s Vineyard Received ‘Victim Visas’ (Apparently That’s a Thing).

A group of illegal immigrants flown to Martha’s Vinyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has received a special visa — and accompanying work permit —reserved for those who have been the victims of a crime. The illegals received a U-visa, which opens a pathway to potential permanent legal status.

Rachel Self, an attorney representing the illegals, says DeSantis duped her clients into boarding chartered flights from Texas. She claims they boarded the planes under the pretense they would receive jobs upon arrival in Massachusetts. Sheriff Javier Salazar from Bexar County, Texas, backed the visa push by Self and her clients. A Democrat, Salazar launched a criminal probe into the flights in late 2022. The sheriff alleges the illegal aliens were “exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip.”

At the time, DeSantis pushed back against Salazar’s accusations that the illegal immigrants were exploited. The Florida Governor’s office insisted the illegals voluntarily agreed to take the flights.

The United States Congress only permits the federal government to issue 10,000 U-visas annually. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the visas are ostensibly granted to the “victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.”

No charges have ever been announced through the Bexar County investigation. However, the illegals were granted permission by a federal judge in Boston to bring a lawsuit against Florida-based company Vertol Systems Co., which managed the flights.

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A group of illegal immigrants flown to Martha's Vinyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has received a special visa — and accompanying work permit —reserved for those who have been the victims of a crime. The illegals received a U-visa, which opens a pathway to potential permanent legal status. show more
Prince Harry Drugs Visa
April 20, 2024
News

Prince Harry ‘Knew He Would Get Away’ with Drug Confession with Biden in Office.

Prince Harry “knew he would get away” with confessing to illegal drug use in his memoir, Spare, and suffer no consequences to his visa status while Biden is in office.

Harry has found himself ensnared in a political and legal clash in the U.S. following recent public disclosures about his past drug use. In his memoir and in supporting interviews, Harry confessed to past use of marijuana, cocaine, magic mushrooms, and ayahuasca, suggesting he lied on his visa application. For the time being, the Royal is unlikely to face any consequences for doing so, with Ambassador Jane Hartley insisting recently that deportation action against him was “not going to happen in the Biden administration.”

“What this intervention by the American ambassador shows us is that the Biden administration were [sic] prepared to allow the king’s son into the country regardless of what rules he may or may not have broken. So, maybe he knew he would get away with it,” said royal expert Lady Colin Campbell.

“The issue that perhaps Harry hadn’t thought about so clearly is what would happen if there were to be a change of government. If Trump wins, Harry may well come to regret these very foolish remarks, made no doubt at the urging of his publisher to sell a few more books,” Campbell continued. “The reality is that no foreigner has an inviolable right to enter another country and you can be made a ‘persona non grata’ at the drop of a hat.”

The Heritage Foundation, a right-leaning public policy think tank, is lobbying for disclosure from the Biden government regarding any drug-use admissions on the Prince’s visa application. Such admissions can typically bar a person’s entry into the U.S., as drug use pertains to applicants’ moral character under visa rules.

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Prince Harry "knew he would get away" with confessing to illegal drug use in his memoir, Spare, and suffer no consequences to his visa status while Biden is in office. show more