The US Embassy in India has cancelled over 2,000 visa appointments, raising concerns over the growing misuse of the appointment system. In a social media post on March 26, the Embassy claimed that many of these bookings were made by “bots” or “bad actors” who had violated its scheduling policies.
“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 posted on X.
Effective immediately, the Embassy has suspended the scheduling privileges of the associated accounts. In their own words, they’re not holding back: “We will continue our anti-fraud efforts. We have zero tolerance for fraud.”
Just a week earlier, on February 27, the Delhi Police Crime Branch registered a First Information Report (FIR) following a formal complaint from the US Embassy in New Delhi. The FIR names several visa and passport agents, mainly operating from Punjab and Haryana.
According to the complaint, these agents were allegedly involved in submitting fake information in visa applications and offering forged documents to applicants. The idea, it seems, was to trick the system and secure US visas using fraudulent means.
The Embassy said it had compiled a list of people linked to multiple IP addresses—many of them suspected to be working as visa consultants, document vendors (offering fake educational certificates, bank statements, and job letters), passport delivery handlers, and education consultants.
More than 30 agents, along with some applicants, have been named in the report. Specific instances were also cited where fake papers were used during the application process.
Meanwhile, those applying through legal means have been stuck in a long queue. The initial registration for H-1B visa applications (used by employers to hire foreign workers) for the 2026 fiscal year closed on March 24. Applicants and employers must use a USCIS online portal for the process.
On the other side, H-B1 and H-B2 visas, which are meant for tourists and business visitors, have had massive backlogs over the last few years. In 2022–23, the wait time was reportedly between 800 and 1,000 working days.
Back in 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had flagged the issue of long visa delays with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The delays were then attributed to the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether the situation has truly improved is still up for debate.
Adding to the woes, the US Department of State recently announced a significant retrogression in green card wait times for Indian applicants. On March 11, the April 2025 Visa Bulletin revealed that those applying under the EB-5 Unreserved category would face a delay of more than two years.
In plain terms, visa retrogression means the dates used to determine when someone can apply for a green card have moved backwards. This results in longer wait times, even for those who have been patiently sitting in the queue.
Though such retrogressions are usually temporary, it adds more uncertainty to an already slow process.
While the US Embassy’s recent crackdown seems aimed at keeping the system clean, it also highlights how desperate and chaotic the visa process has become—especially when it comes to high-demand countries like India.
For genuine applicants, this news may be unsettling, especially as fraudulent activity could tighten scrutiny and slow things down even more. Whether this crackdown will help streamline things or make them tougher for everyone, remains to be seen.
