India, Aug. 27 -- The US government is conducting a sweeping review of nearly 200,000 temporary visas, examining whether foreign nationals misrepresented their intentions when they entered the country, according to reports.

The review covers people who travelled to the US on tourist and business visas and later sought to remain in the country through asylum applications or other routes to permanent status.

The US State Department has not officially confirmed the reported figure.

Asked by NDTV whether Indian nationals could also be caught up in the review, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said a US visa is "not a right, but a privilege."

However, US officials have not indicated that Indian applicants are being singled out for...