The Trump administration is planning a sweeping artificial intelligence-driven overhaul of US visa processing and legal immigration services, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told lawmakers on 26 June. The initiative includes a new mobile application, automated form validation, and an AI-enabled platform set to go live within 30 days, with an initial focus on clearing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) backlog.

What the Overhaul Involves

Appearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Mullin outlined a multi-pronged digital transformation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The plan centres on deploying AI to automate case management, reduce paperwork errors, and speed up approvals across immigration categories.

'We’re building systems in right now to be able to do that through an automated system,' Mullin said. A key feature would prevent incomplete applications from being submitted at all — 'Why can’t we move this to a system that you can’t submit the paperwork until it is filled out correctly?' he said. 'The technology is there, we just have to adapt it.'

Mobile App and Presidential Backing

DHS is collaborating with the Department of Commerce to develop a mobile application that would consolidate immigration services for applicants. 'We’re actually trying to build an app,' Mullin said, adding that he had briefed President Donald Trump on the initiative. 'The president loved the idea,' he noted. The app is intended to improve the experience for both individual applicants and employers dependent on work visa programmes.

Agricultural Visas and Labour Shortages

Responding to questions from Congressman Dan Newhouse of Washington state, Mullin said processing times for H-2A agricultural visas had already improved significantly, with the department now operating on a 15-day turnaround. 'A lot of these agricultural workers are known. They come back and forth, we see them every time,' he said.

Mullin also said DHS was examining how to address labour shortages in sectors such as dairy farming, where existing visa rules differ from those governing seasonal agricultural employment — a distinction that has created bottlenecks for year-round operations.

Re-vetting and Security Screening

The secretary acknowledged that modernisation efforts are running in parallel with a review of immigration cases approved under the previous administration. 'We’re having to go back through and re-vet a lot of people,' Mullin said, noting that additional screening measures have been introduced alongside the efficiency push. The dual mandate — faster processing and tighter security — reflects the administration’s broader framing of legal immigration reform.

What This Means for Indian Applicants

India is among the largest sources of skilled professionals, students, and employment-based visa applicants to the United States. Faster digital processing and AI-assisted case management could benefit thousands of Indian nationals seeking legal pathways to study, work, or settle in the US. However, visa eligibility and approvals will continue to be governed by existing immigration laws and regulations — the overhaul targets administrative efficiency, not policy changes. With application volumes continuing to climb, the pressure on federal agencies to modernise has grown steadily, and this initiative represents one of the most concrete steps in that direction to date.