According to the US Embassy, evidence of fraud and disorder in the visa appointment system in India was found, involving bots and other “malicious actors.” As a result, the embassy suspended these suspicious accounts and cancelled their visa appointments.

In a statement on the social media platform X, the embassy wrote, “The Consular Team in India is cancelling approximately 2,000 visa appointments that were obtained through bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and individuals who violate our scheduling rules. All these appointments are being immediately cancelled, and the related accounts are being suspended.”

Problems faced by Indian visa applicants

Indian applicants for US visas are already facing severe difficulties, especially candidates for “B1” (business) and “B2” (tourist) visas, who have to wait for several years. In 2022-23, the waiting time for a visa reached up to 800 to 1,000 days.

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To address the issue of long waiting times, the US introduced visa appointment facilities for Indian citizens in Frankfurt, Germany, and Bangkok, Thailand.

Indian Government’s response

The Indian government has repeatedly complained to Washington about the issue of long waiting times. In 2022, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar discussed the matter with then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Biden administration attributed the delay largely to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, in January, during a visit to Washington for Donald Trump’s inauguration, Jaishankar raised the issue again with Blinken’s successor, Marco Rubio.

Impact on student visas

In addition to delays in visa issuance, there has been a decrease in the overall visa approval rate, which is particularly affecting Indian students. With the recent revelation of fraud in visa applications, individuals wishing to travel to the United States may face even more challenges.