Staying in the U.S. beyond the date permitted on your visa can have serious consequences, the U.S. Embassy in India cautioned on Monday, warning that overstaying could lead to visa cancellation, deportation, and difficulties in securing future visas.
On Aug. 18, the Embassy clarified that a U.S. visa’s expiry date does not determine how long someone can remain in the country. Instead, the permitted stay is set by the “Admit Until Date” mentioned on the I-94 arrival record. “Your authorized period of stay is the ‘Admit Until Date’ on your I-94, not your U.S. visa expiration date. Staying in the United States beyond your authorized date is called an ‘overstay’ and could result in a visa revocation, possible deportation, and could result in a visa revocation, possible deportation, and ineligibility for future visas. You can check your I-94 date at https: //i94.cbp.dhs.gov,” as per the declaration posted on X.
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A few days before that reminder, the Embassy had also taken a tough line on illegal entry. In a post on X dated Aug. 13, the Embassy said: “Illegal entry into the United States is not an option. Those who break U.S. law will be returned to their country or face criminal charges.” A similar warning came on Aug. 9, when it stressed: “Our message is clear: those who violate U.S. border security will be held accountable. We’re working our network of global partnerships to root out illegal immigration and protect the integrity of our travel documents.”
So why does the Embassy keep issuing these reminders? The answer lies in the U.S. government’s tougher stance on immigration. Enforcement has escalated sharply, with The Guardian reporting that daily detentions are now close to 2,000, the highest in a decade. Since January, nearly 127,000 people have already been deported, some even sent to third countries under controversial policies. India has been directly impacted too.
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In July, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated, as per an Economic Times report, that 1,563 Indian nationals were deported from the U.S. in 2025, most of them on commercial flights. Adding to this climate of strict action, the Trump administration recently revoked more than 6,000 student visas where around 4,000 tied to criminal conduct and a few hundred linked to alleged terrorism support, sending a strong message that even legal visa holders are not immune to enforcement if they fall out of line.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, nearly 43,764 Indians tried to cross into the U.S. from Canada, while another 25,616 attempted entries from Mexico. The rest are believed to have either overstayed their visas or entered through U.S. airports, according to The Print. These numbers underline why the U.S. Embassy has been issuing repeated warnings. With thousands of Indians caught overstaying or attempting irregular entry, Washington D.C. is making it clear that violations won’t be overlooked.