New Delhi, May 24: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday addressed concerns regarding adjustments to the American visa system, clarifying that current changes are part of a global "modernisation" effort rather than measures targeted specifically at India.

Speaking at a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rubio reaffirmed the immense value the Indian community brings to the United States. He highlighted that Indian companies have invested over $20 billion into the US economy. He expressed a clear desire for this partnership to continue and expand.

He said Washington wants Indian investment in the US to keep rising even as it reforms how it admits foreign nationals.

"First of all, I accept the contribution that Indians have made to the U.S. economy. Over $20 billion has been invested in the US economy by Indian companies. We want that number to continue to increase," Rubio said.

Addressing concerns about J1, F1, and H-1B visas, Rubio stated, "The changes that are happening now... are not India-specific; it is global, it's being applied across the world."

Rubio underscored that immigration policy is a matter of national sovereignty. He explained that every country must design its systems to reflect its own national interests, ensuring the process remains sustainable and efficient.

He stressed that the visa adjustments are worldwide in scope. "The changes that are happening now, or the modernisation of our migration system into the United States, are not India-specific; it is global, it's being applied across the world," he said. "We are in a period of modernisation."

Rubio linked the reforms to a broader crisis the US has faced at its borders. "We've had a migratory crisis in the United States. This is not because of India, but broadly, we have had over 20 million people illegally enter the United States over the last few years, and we've had to address that challenge," he said. "Everything that you do as a country needs to be in your national interest, and that includes your immigration policy."

While defending the need for reform, he described America as open to legal immigration. "The United States, I believe, is the most welcoming country in the world for immigration. Every single year, a million people, roughly, become permanent residents of the United States and contribute greatly," Rubio said. "My parents entered the United States as permanent residents in 1956 from Cuba. It's a process that's enriched us."

He said the system must evolve with time. "But it has to be a process that's adjusted in every era to the realities of the modern times in which you live. We are, and it's long overdue," he said. "The United States is currently undergoing a process of reforming the system by which we choose how many people come into our country, who comes in, when they come in, cetera."

Rubio cautioned that the transition would create friction. "Anytime you undertake a reform, any time you undertake a change in the system by which you admit people, there's going to be a period of transition that's going to create some friction points and some difficulties and so forth," he said. "It is not a system that is targeted at India; it is one that's being applied globally."

He expressed confidence in the outcome. "We're in a period of transition, and like any period of transition, there's going to be some bumps on that road. But we think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system, a more efficient system, one that works better than the one that we had in place previously and more sustainable by the way." (ANI)