New Delhi: The US Embassy in India has canceled more than 2,000 visa applications after uncovering fraudulent activities related to the appointment system. The embassy announced that it identified significant violations involving “bad actors” and automated bots manipulating the system. As a result, the embassy suspended the accounts associated with these fraudulent actions.
In a post on X, the US Embassy stated, “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.” The embassy further emphasized, “Effective immediately, we are canceling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges.”
The fraud primarily involved B1 and B2 visa applications, which are meant for business and tourism purposes. These visa categories have experienced substantial backlogs in recent years, with waiting times in 2022-23 ranging from 800 to 1,000 days.
This delay prompted the US to offer alternative visa appointment options in cities like Frankfurt and Bangkok for Indian applicants.
