US cracks down on Visa ‘Bot’ scams, cancels 2,000 fraudulent appointments

In a major crackdown on fraudulent visa appointment bookings in India, the US has canceled approximately 2,000 interview slots secured by automated “bots.” This practice, widely exploited by agents, has forced many applicants to pay exorbitant fees — ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 per person — to secure timely appointments.

Announcing the move on X, the US Embassy in India stated:

“Consular Team India is cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers who violate our scheduling policies. Effective immediately, we are cancelling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges.”

The embassy reaffirmed its commitment to combating fraudulent practices, saying, “We will continue our anti-fraud efforts. We have zero tolerance for frauds.”

Agents cash in on visa woes

The use of bots to manipulate the appointment system is an open secret in India’s travel industry. Despite long official wait times—often stretching beyond six months for B1/B2 (business and visitor) visas and causing significant delays for students—agents claim they can secure interview slots within weeks for a hefty fee.

“We tried booking an interview date ourselves for our child, who had to join an American university last fall, but there were no slots available in time,” said an applicant, speaking anonymously. “We had no choice but to pay an agent ₹30,000, and suddenly, we got a slot.”

US tightens visa measures amid past challenges

With wait times for US visas nearing an unprecedented 999 days last year, Indian applicants were even encouraged to seek appointments at US consulates in Frankfurt and Bangkok. India had raised concerns about these delays with the US government, prompting several measures to reduce waiting periods.

Now, with this aggressive crackdown on bot-driven fraud, the US hopes to restore fairness in the visa scheduling process, potentially easing the struggles of genuine applicants.