The United States has cancelled over 2,000 visa applications in India due to fraudulent activities, the US Embassy announced on Wednesday. The move is part of efforts to curb misuse of the visa appointment system, which has long been plagued by irregularities.
The embassy cited the use of automated bots and unauthorised agents manipulating the system to secure visa appointments. "Consular Team India is cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots.
We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies," the embassy posted on X. The affected accounts have also been suspended from making further appointments.
This action comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration violations, aligning with stricter policies adopted under the Donald Trump administration. Despite the ongoing backlog in US visa applications, especially for B1 and B2 visas, the authorities have decided to take a firm stance against fraudulent activities.
Visa wait times in India have been a long-standing concern, with applicants facing delays of up to 1,000 days. To address this, the US had opened visa slots in Germany and Thailand for Indian applicants.
However, the persistent backlog and now stricter fraud detection measures could pose additional challenges for those seeking entry into the US.
The Indian government has repeatedly raised concerns about visa delays with Washington.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar previously discussed the issue with former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and recently brought it up again with Blinken’s successor, Marco Rubio, during his visit to Washington for Donald Trump's inauguration.
Follow us
