The US Embassy in India announced on Wednesday that it has canceled 2,000 US visa appointments due to fraudulent activities. The embassy stated that it identified a major flaw in the appointment system and discovered that all these appointments were booked using bots. This information was shared in an official post on the X platform.

"The consular team in India is canceling 2,000 visa appointments made through bots. We do not tolerate agents and fixers who manipulate our scheduling system. Along with canceling these appointments, we are also suspending the scheduling privileges of associated accounts. Our efforts to eliminate fraud will continue, and we will not tolerate any such activities," the post stated.

It is well known that business, visitor (B1, B2), and student visa appointments for the US have long waiting periods. However, agents charge fees between ₹30,000 and ₹35,000 to secure an appointment within a month. A parent revealed to an English newspaper that they could not get an appointment for their child’s student visa through normal means, but after paying ₹30,000 to an agent, they secured one immediately. In 2023, B1 and B2 visa wait times reached 999 days, forcing the US to open appointment slots in cities like Frankfurt and Bangkok for Indian applicants. The Indian government had previously raised concerns about long wait times with the US, leading to a significant reduction. Now, US authorities are focusing on preventing bot usage in the appointment system.