The debate over the H-1B visa programme has resurfaced in the US after former US Congressman and economist Dave Brat accused India of large-scale irregularities, claiming the system has been “gamed for decades”. His comments come as Donald Trump tightens controls on skilled-worker visas.
Brat’s claims have reignited political and public attention on a visa category widely used by Indian IT firms and professionals — and one that has long been at the centre of friction over US job losses, outsourcing, and alleged abuse of loopholes.
Speaking on Steve Bannon’s podcast, Brat argued that the programme is riddled with manipulation. “When you hear H-1B, think of your family, because these fraudulent visas just stole their future,” he said, alleging that many applicants are not genuinely skilled and displace American workers.
He pointed to the concentration of visas among Indian nationals — roughly 70–71 percent of all H-1B holders, according to US government data, compared to about 10–12 percent from China. “That tells you something’s going on right there,” Brat said.
His most explosive claim involved visa volumes allegedly processed in India. Despite the US Congress setting a cap of 85,000 visas annually, Brat said “one district in India, the Madras district, got 2,20,000 — two and a half times the cap”.
An Indian media report for 2024 similarly stated that the US consulate in Chennai processed around 2,20,000 H-1B visas and 1,40,000 H-4 dependent visas that year, placing the mission under renewed scrutiny.
The Chennai consulate covers applications from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Hyderabad — regions that together account for a significant share of India’s IT workforce.
Adding to the controversy, former US diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui — who worked at the Chennai consulate between 2005 and 2007 — recently claimed on a podcast that 80–90 percent of H-1B applications from India during her tenure were fraudulent. She said applicants often used fake degrees, forged documents or did not meet the skill requirements.
In a separate post on X, she called for dismantling a “30-year-old H-1B racket” built on the claim that America lacks STEM workers. Siddiqui alleged that proxy candidates frequently appeared for interviews, that some Indian managers demanded monthly kickbacks in exchange for jobs, and that many applicants skipped interviews if the officer was American.
“As an Indian-American, I hate to say this, but fraud and bribery are normalised in India,” she wrote, adding that her team had raised concerns but encountered political pressure.
H-1B visas allow foreign skilled workers to take up employment in the US, particularly in technology and engineering roles. But growing frustration among American workers — combined with allegations of fraud and outsourcing — has fuelled political calls for reform.
Trump has tightened oversight of employment-based visas, authorised broader ICE raids, increased scrutiny at consulates, and moved to hike H-1B fees sharply.
With new claims emerging and political rhetoric hardening, the future of the H-1B system appears poised for another turbulent chapter — with India at the centre of the debate once again.