The US Embassy in India has released a visa advisory warning that crimes like assault, theft, or burglary in the US can result in a visa being canceled.
This alert follows an incident where an Indian woman was caught shoplifting items worth ₹1.1 lakh from a Target store in Illinois.
The advisory also warned that such crimes can make someone ineligible for future US visas, which could block re-entry into the country. Because of this, the embassy urged foreign visitors to obey all US laws.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the US Embassy in India stated: “Committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won’t just cause you legal problems – it can lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future US visas.
The United States values law and order and expects all foreign visitors to follow its laws.”
According to congress.gov, the official site for US federal laws, stealing can break multiple state theft laws and, depending on the situation, may also be a federal crime.
Terms like larceny, embezzlement, robbery, and burglary appear in various sections of the US legal code.
Why the US Embassy Gave This Warning
An Indian woman reportedly spent over seven hours in a Target store collecting items worth $1,300 (around ₹1.1 lakh) and then tried to leave without paying.
The incident occurred on May 1 and came to public attention after a video of a store employee confronting her went viral.
The video, shared on YouTube, includes bodycam footage from the police. A Target employee is seen accusing the woman of walking around the store for hours and trying to leave with a full cart of unpaid items.
“We saw this woman moving through the store for the last seven hours,” the employee says in the video.
“She was picking up things, using her phone, going from one aisle to another, and eventually tried to leave through the west gate without paying.”
The woman offered to pay for the items and settle the matter with the police, but she was handcuffed and taken to the police station.
“Can you steal things in India? I don’t think so,” the female police officer questioning her says in the video.
The video also says she’s facing felony charges. Though she hasn’t been formally arrested yet, legal action is expected.
