A social media post shared on an NRI group claimed that an Indian student who was returning to the US after visiting India had to deal with an unfortunate situation which ended with a ticket back home. The post claimed that the Webster University student was to graduate this December. He went to India, and on his return, he was stopped after clearing the initial immigration check.
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"He was reportedly stopped for additional questioning by officers, who reviewed his phone and asked about his location history and part-time work," the post said.
"After questioning, he was advised to voluntarily return to India instead of facing formal removal. He was held for about a day before being sent back to India," the post claimed.
"He was only a few months away from graduation. This is shared only as an awareness post -- not to spread fear or draw legal conclusions. International students should always follow F-1 visa rules, maintain their immigration status, and be aware that additional inspections can happen at US ports of entry," the post added.
The incident took place at St Louis and the officers reportedly booked his return ticket using his payment details
The post, not independently verified by TOI, did not share any other details of the student, his visa status, or whether he was working part-time, flouting his visa conditions.
Can an F-1 student be denied entry to the US?
If a CBP officer determines that an F-1 student is not admissible, they can deny their entry. There could be several grounds overall:
- Inability to show they are a genuine student
- Invalid documents
- Invalid SEVIS record
- Working without authorization
- Prior immigration violation
- Security, criminal or other inadmissibility grounds
F1 students are not allowed to work part-time unless it's on-campus. Working for restaurants or stores is not allowed unless there is specific authorization.
