'Zero tolerance for agents, fixers': US embassy cancels 2,000 visa appointments made by bots

The U.S. Embassy in India on Wednesday said it has cancelled around 2,000 visa appointments after detecting major scheduling violations by “bad actors,” signaling a deeper crackdown on fraud within the visa application process. “Consular Team India identified bad actors who made about 2,000 visa appointments that violated our scheduling policies,” the embassy said in a notice shared on X. 

“Effective immediately, we are canceling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies," the embassy further said. 

The move comes as part of a larger crackdown on fraudulent visa activity that has triggered an ongoing investigation by Delhi Police. The case, filed on February 27 following a complaint from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, names over 30 individuals from states like Punjab and Haryana allegedly involved in visa fraud between May and August 2024.

According to the FIR, the accused — including visa agents and applicants — conspired to forge documents such as bank statements, educational records, and employment certificates to secure U.S. visas. The U.S. authorities flagged 21 cases in which applicants submitted false claims with help from agents and document vendors.

Investigators found that applicants were charged anywhere between ₹1 lakh and ₹15 lakh for these services. In one case, an applicant named Chamkaur Singh admitted during his visa interview that he never worked in the job position listed on his application. He claimed that the visa agent filled in a false employment detail to cover a gap in his timeline and submitted fake bank documents under his and his father's name. Singh said his father agreed to pay ₹13 lakh if the visa was approved.

The embassy's internal investigation tracked IP addresses linked to various consultants and vendors, noting patterns of fraudulent behavior across multiple applications. The FIR has been filed under Sections 318, 336, and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(D) of the IT Act. Raids are underway to locate others involved in the network.

Calling the fraud “a serious security matter that affects both the United States and India,” the U.S. Embassy has urged Indian authorities to expedite the investigation.

(With inputs from PTI)