- The US Embassy in India cancelled 2,000 visa appointments due to fraud involving bots.
- B1/B2 visa wait times reached up to 1,000 days, prompting concerns from Indian officials.
- US student visa rejections hit 41% in FY 23-24, with a sharp decline in approvals for Indians.
The US Embassy in India has cancelled over 2,000 visa applications due to fraud-related activities. Officials detected that “bad actors” used bots to manipulate the appointment system. The embassy announced this action on Wednesday.
“Consular Team India is cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies,” the embassy stated in a post on X. The accounts involved have also been suspended.
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
B1 and B2 visas, meant for business and tourism, have faced long waiting times. In 2022-23, applicants waited up to 1,000 days. The US even opened visa slots in Frankfurt and Bangkok to manage the backlog. In 2022, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised concerns with US officials about the delays. He again discussed this issue in January 2024.
Student visa rejections have also increased. In FY 23-24, the US denied 2.79 lakh of 6.79 lakh student visa applications, a 41% rejection rate. The visa rejection rate in 2014 was only 15%, but it has nearly tripled since then. Indian students faced a 38% drop in visa approvals in 2024.
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