“Zero Tolerance”: US Cancels 2,000 India Visa Appointments Made by Bots

New Delhi: The US Embassy in India canceled over 2,000 visa applications due to fraud. Bots manipulated the appointment system, officials said.

“Consular Team India is canceling 2,000 bot-made visa appointments. We strictly prohibit agents and fixers violating our scheduling rules,” the embassy posted.

“Effective immediately, these appointments are canceled, and the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges have been suspended,” they stated.

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B1 and B2 visa backlogs increased recently, with 2022-23 wait times reaching 800-1,000 days, leading to appointments in Frankfurt, Bangkok.

In 2022, S Jaishankar discussed visa delays with Antony Blinken, who blamed Covid-19. He raised concerns again in January.

Mr. Jaishankar said a 400-day visa wait harms relations. He discussed this concern with US Senator Marco Rubio.

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Student visa denials have risen sharply. In FY 23-24, the US rejected 41% of 6.79 lakh F-1 visa applications. In 2014, the rejection rate was 15%, nearly tripling over a decade. Approved visas have declined, affecting students and universities. Though country-specific data isn’t disclosed, reports indicate a 38% drop in US student visas for Indians in early 2024.