The embassy also stated that it has “zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies.”
In a notification posted on X, the embassy stated, “Consular Team India identified bad actors who made about 2,000 visa appointments that violated our scheduling policies.”
“Effective immediately, we are cancelling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges,” the US embassy added.
“We will continue our anti-fraud efforts. We have zero tolerance for fraud,” it added.
Consular Team India is canceling about 2000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies. pic.twitter.com/ypakf99eCo
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) March 26, 2025
Several social media users shared their opinions on the US Embassy’s decision to cancel such applications.
One X user suggested, “How about cancelling all the H1Bs of everyone the appointments were for and the companies they were being brought to work for.”
How about canceling all the H1Bs of everyone the appointments were for and the companies they were being brought to work for.
— kaptaan (@kaptaan_merica) March 26, 2025
A second user added, “Time to freeze the visa program. The corruption is everywhere, and it’s absurd to import workers while American workers are drowning and going through mass layoffs.”
Time to freeze the visa program. The corruption is everywhere and it’s absurd to import workers while American workers are drowning and going through mass layoffs.
— skylar (@sky_and_sunshin) March 26, 2025
“Anyone doing this should be punished beyond cancellation. They should be reported to DOL and USCIS as fraudsters, and they should be debarred if applicable,” remarked a third user.
“It all started with delays in appointments and long wait times. Try to bring efficiencies in the system to eliminate all this,” another advised.
One user noted, “Visa appointments have become unnecessarily complicated, making it difficult to book without an agent. The government should simplify the process for easier access.”
The action is part of a broader crackdown on fraudulent visa activities in response to a complaint from the US Embassy in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
The case identified more than 30 people from Haryana and Punjab who are believed to have engaged in visa fraud between May and August 2024, Business Today reported.
The accused were reportedly connected to multiple IP addresses suspected to be linked to education consultants, document sellers, bank statements, visa consultants, and passport delivery businesses.
Investigators discovered that applicants paid anything from ₹1 lakh to ₹15 lakh for these fraudulent services. According to US authorities, applicants made false claims with the help of agents in 21 instances.
In one instance, visa applicant Chamkaur Singh confessed in his interview that he had never held the position he applied for. He stated that his father agreed to pay ₹13 lakh if the visa was approved.
The US Embassy has asked Indian authorities to act quickly to investigate the scam, calling it “a serious security matter that affects both the United States and India.”
The FIR was filed using Section 66(D) of the IT Act as well as Sections 318, 336, and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Raids are being conducted to find further members of the network.
