Over 2,000 Visa Applications from India Canceled by US Embassy Over Fraud-Related Activities

In a move to tackle fraud-related activities, the US embassy announced that it had canceled more than 2,000 visa applications from India. The cancellations were due to violations in the appointment system, where “bad actors” or bots were found manipulating the system.

The embassy, in a post on X, stated, “The Consular Team India is canceling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies.” It added that the canceled appointments were part of a crackdown on fraudulent activities, and the associated accounts had been suspended from further scheduling privileges.

The cancellation primarily affected B1 and B2 visa categories, meant for business and tourism. These visa categories have faced significant backlogs in recent years. For instance, in 2022-23, applicants experienced waiting times between 800 and 1,000 days, prompting the US to offer visa appointments for Indian applicants in cities like Frankfurt and Bangkok.

In addition to business and tourism visas, student visa denials have also surged. In the fiscal year 2023-24, the US received 6.79 lakh applications for F-1 student visas, out of which 2.79 lakh were rejected, resulting in a rejection rate of 41 percent. This is a sharp increase compared to the previous year when the rejection rate was 36 percent. The rejection rate has nearly tripled since 2014, when it stood at 15 percent. This surge in denials has impacted international students, as well as universities that depend on foreign students for enrollment.

Reports also indicate that Indian students faced a 38 percent decrease in the number of student visas issued in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.