In a major crackdown on fraudulent activities, the US Embassy in India has canceled over 2,000 visa appointments that were illegally booked using automated bots. The embassy announced on Wednesday that it had identified several violations in the appointment system by unauthorized agents and fixers attempting to exploit the process. As a result, the embassy not only canceled these appointments but also suspended the scheduling privileges of the associated accounts. The move comes as part of the US government’s efforts to maintain transparency and fairness in the visa application process, especially amid increasing demand for business (B1) and tourist (B2) visas.

The backlog for US visas has been a persistent issue, with wait times reaching up to 1,000 days in 2022-23. To address this, the US government opened visa appointment slots for Indian applicants in other countries, including Germany and Thailand. However, despite these measures, delays remain a significant concern. The issue has been raised at diplomatic levels, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar urging the US to improve visa processing times. In a recent discussion with US Senator Marco Rubio, he emphasized that long wait periods adversely affect bilateral relations and must be resolved urgently.

Apart from tourist and business visas, student visa rejections have also surged significantly. In the fiscal year 2023-24, the US received nearly 6.79 lakh applications for F-1 student visas but rejected 2.79 lakh of them—an alarming 41% rejection rate, which marked a sharp rise from previous years. The trend has had a noticeable impact on Indian students, with reports indicating a 38% decline in the number of US student visas issued to Indian applicants in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. As visa backlogs and rejection rates continue to rise, concerns are mounting over the accessibility of higher education and professional opportunities for Indian applicants in the US.