US embassy cancels 2,000 visa appointments made by agents’ ‘bots’
Industry insiders say that agents use bots to block appointment dates because of which visa applicants are unable to get an appointment in time for their visit when they try to book on their own
The US embassy in India on Wednesday (March 26) announced that it was cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots, in an effort to crack down on “agents and fixers”.
The embassy posted on X, “Consular Team India identified bad actors who made about 2,000 visa appointments that violated our scheduling policies. Effective immediately, we are cancelling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts’ scheduling privileges. We will continue our anti-fraud efforts. We have zero tolerance for fraud.”
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What everyone in the travel industry in India seems to know is that though people have to wait for long periods to obtain appointment dates for US visas (student or visitor or business), paying an agent about Rs 30,000 – 35,000 gets them an appointment slot within a month or so.
Agents use bots to block appt dates
Industry insiders say that agents typically use bots to block appointment dates because of which visa applicants are unable to get an appointment in time for their visit when they try to book on their own.
However, when they approach an agent and pay them the required amount, they get an appointment slot that facilitates their travel.
The wait for a B1/B2 appointment is usually 6 months, but if one pays Rs 30,000 – 35,000 to an agent, the wait is reduced to just about a month.
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One person said his family tried to get a student visa for their child to join a university in the US last year, but “nothing was available in the timeframe to do so”. They then paid an agent Rs 30,000 and got the appointment in time, according to a report in the Times of India.
US took steps to cut waiting time
In 2023, when the waiting time for B1/B2 appointments was almost 1,000 days, the US gave appointments for Indian applicants at its consulates in Bangkok, Frankfurt, and other cities.
India also brought up the issue of long waiting times for visas with the US administration, and they responded with several measures to reduce the waiting time.
It is hoped that the latest cracking down on bots by the US embassy will make more appointment slots available for genuine visa applicants.