Following the discovery of significant fraud in its appointment scheduling system, the US Embassy in India has canceled roughly 2,000 visa appointments.
Consular Team India at the embassy discovered that “bad actors” had unfairly reserved slots by manipulating the system with bots.
US Embassy in India Canceled Roughly 2,000 Visa Appointments
The embassy promptly canceled the appointments and suspended the associated accounts as a result of these actions, which were against official scheduling policies. Thirty agents used forged documents to obtain visas, according to an internal investigation conducted from May to August of last year.
These agents worked from several IP addresses and were connected to education consultants, passport delivery services, document providers, and visa consultants.
Based on the embassy’s fraud report, the Delhi Police filed a case against a number of passport and visa agents on February 27.
The appointments were canceled as President Donald Trump, who took office two months ago, has tightened US immigration laws.
The Trump administration has deported thousands of illegal immigrants and prioritized strengthening border security since January. The “donkey” route, a smuggling tactic in which agents make false promises of US entry, was utilized by many deportees.
Protecting the integrity of consular services is the goal of the US Embassy’s zero-tolerance policy.
No Information About How To Reschedule
Many applicants have been impacted by the cancellation, but the embassy has not yet provided information on how they can reschedule.
For years, middlemen have targeted the Indian visa process, charging exorbitant fees in exchange for appointments that are guaranteed or expedited.
Authorities in the US and India are anticipated to work together more closely in order to combat fraud and safeguard lawful visa applicants.
Stricter verification procedures will probably be implemented as part of the crackdown, which could increase system trust while slowing down processing times.
It is recommended that legitimate applicants avoid scams and only use official US channels.
The action demonstrates a zero-tolerance policy against fraud, particularly given the continued high demand for US visas.
With wait times for nonimmigrant visas like B1/B2 now surpassing 400 days, many applicants are concerned.
