US Visa Appointment Fraud: 2,000 Slots Canceled in India
In its ongoing efforts to fight fraud in the visa appointment system, the US embassy in India canceled a total of 2,000 visa slots. It was done as they were being illegally held by bots. The embassy aims to provide a fair opportunity for legitimate visa applicants. Also, they wanted to cut down on delays caused by fraudulent appointments.
Zero Tolerance for Fraudulently Reserving Appointments
The consular team in India has noticed these fraudulent appointments and imposed some very strict limits on the wrong-doers. “We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers who violate our scheduling practices…We will continue to work against fraud.” In enforcing this action, we have deactivated bot reservation accounts.
How Bots Are Affecting the Visa Appointment System
Visa agents use bots for the sole purpose of reserving appointment slots preventing legitimate waiting applicants from obtaining timely visa appointments. This has caused the wait time for B1 and B2 visas (travel visa for business and tourism) to go from extreme wait times of 800-1000 days in 2022-2023. To counter this, the US previously provided visa slots for Indian applicants at the Frankfurt and Bangkok consulates.
Increasing Concerns Regarding Visa Delays
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised concerns about lengthy visa processing times with US authorities both in 2022 and 2025. He emphasized how slow processing times might negatively influence bilateral relations between the two countries. The issue has also had ramifications for student visas, with the worldwide denial rate of F-1 visas reaching a ten-year high of 41% in the last fiscal year.
Consequences of the Repression
By banning bookings made by bots, the US hopes to streamline and increase accessibility to the visa process for legitimate applicants. This initiative may dramatically reduce wait times and provide access to appointments in a fair manner.
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