"It's Not About India": Marco Rubio To NDTV On New US Greencard Rule

The US' new policy that makes it a must for many immigrants already living legally in the country to leave and apply for permanent residency - or green card - from abroad is not something directed only at India, but applicable for everyone, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NDTV today.

"Well, it's not about India. It's about the whole world. The United States has taken a decision that it needs to streamline and improve our system of immigration. The fact of the matter is, and I think every country would understand it, again, this is not about India. This is a global situation that we're dealing with. Our country, unfortunately, faced a very serious migratory crisis a few years ago," Rubio said.

"Over 20 million people unlawfully entered the country. We saw abuses of the green card system in many cases as well. And so we decided that we were going to reform it. Any time you reform a system, there's going to be some disruptions. There's going to be some hiccups. There's going to be some inconvenience," the top American official, who earlier spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after landing in New Delhi, told NDTV.

Rubio also extended an invite on behalf of US President Donald Trump for PM Modi to visit the White House sometime.

The new US policy on immigration could have significant implications for temporary visa holders, including students, researchers, tourists and H-1B workers, many of whom traditionally adjust their status inside the US after obtaining employer or family sponsorship.

Issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the policy says that adjustment of status, or the process through which immigrants apply for green cards while remaining inside the US, is "a matter of discretion and administrative grace" and not intended to replace regular consular processing abroad.

USCIS said officers must consider applications on a "case-by-case basis" and weigh whether applicants deserve what the agency described as an "extraordinary form of relief."

Rubio told NDTV the policy and system will become "much more stable" in the long term. "... Much more viable. And I think Indians who seek to come to the United States are going to find themselves with a system that, in the long run, is going to prove to be more efficient and more effective and better for both them and our country as well," Rubio said.

Indian technology professionals have historically relied heavily on adjustment of status provisions because of long green card backlogs and country-specific visa caps. Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have repeatedly warned that forcing applicants to leave the country during processing could disrupt jobs, family stability and long-term residency plans for thousands of Indian-origin families.