US cancels 2,000 Indian visa appointments, warns of zero fraud tolerance

The US Embassy in India has cancelled around 2,000 visa appointments after finding they were booked in violation of official policies. The move is part of a broader effort to tackle fraud in the visa application process.

 

“Consular Team India identified bad actors who made about 2,000 visa appointments that violated our scheduling policies,” the embassy said in a notice shared on X on Wednesday, March 27.

 

“Effective immediately, we are canceling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges. We will continue our anti-fraud efforts and have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies,” the embassy added.

 

 

Delhi Police investigation names over 30 people

 

The embassy’s announcement follows a formal complaint it lodged with Delhi Police in February. A case was registered on February 27, naming more than 30 individuals from Punjab, Haryana and other states for allegedly submitting fraudulent documents to obtain US visas between May and August 2024.

 

According to the FIR, the accused include visa agents and applicants. Investigators allege they worked together to forge documents such as bank statements, academic certificates and employment records. US authorities flagged 21 applications containing false claims.

 

Police say applicants were charged between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 15 lakh for these services.

 

In one instance, an applicant named Chamkaur Singh reportedly told officials during his visa interview that he had never worked in the role listed on his application. He said his agent had filled in fake job details to explain a gap in his timeline and submitted forged bank documents in both his and his father’s name. Singh told investigators his father had agreed to pay Rs 13 lakh if the visa was granted.

 

Embassy used IP tracking to trace networks

 

The embassy said its internal investigation used IP address data to identify consultants and vendors linked to suspicious applications. Patterns of similar fraud were seen across multiple submissions.

 

Delhi Police have filed charges under Sections 318, 336 and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(D) of the IT Act. Raids are ongoing to locate others involved.

 

The US Embassy called the case “a serious security matter that affects both the United States and India” and has asked Indian authorities to move quickly with the investigation.

 

Russell A Stamets, partner at Circle of Counsels, a law firm in Delhi, said many people don’t realise how damaging such fraud can be.

 

“The sad fact is that unwarranted desperation will drive people to accept dangerous, illegal and immoral options that may not work in the short term and may permanently destroy their option of trying to work in that country in the future. They may even end up with a criminal record, which will cause problems for them everywhere,” Stamets told Business Standard.

 

He added, “Foreign legal systems are usually harsh and not at all sympathetic to special circumstances for migrants.”

 

H-1B fraud under scrutiny

 

In January 2024, the US government introduced changes to the H-1B visa lottery system to tackle fraud and simplify the process. The new approach uses a beneficiary-based selection model, which counts each individual once, regardless of how many employers submitted their name.

 

“We’re determined to improve fairness in the H-1B process and minimise fraud,” said USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou. “Our goal is to make H-1B selections more equitable and ultimately transition to a fully electronic application process.”

 

A report by Bloomberg said that between 2020 and 2023, some firms used multiple registrations for the same applicant to gain an unfair advantage in the H-1B lottery. It estimated that around 15,500 H-1B visas granted last year—around one in six—were the result of this tactic.