Indian-American diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui has levelled explosive allegations of widespread and systemic fraud in the H-1B visa programme, claiming that a majority of the work visas issued to Indian applicants were obtained through fraudulent means.
The H-1B visa, widely used by American companies to hire skilled foreign workers, is dominated by Indian applicants.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Siddiqui; who served as a consular officer at the US Consulate in Chennai between 2005 and 2007; said she witnessed large-scale fraud firsthand at one of the world’s busiest H-1B processing posts.
Chennai, which handles applications from Hyderabad, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, processed hundreds of thousands of work visas and dependent visas in 2024 alone.
According to Siddiqui, 80–90% of visas issued to Indians were fraudulent, involving fake degrees, forged documents, or applicants who did not meet the skill requirements for an H-1B.
She claimed that she and other officers flagged these issues early, even sending a dissent cable to the US Secretary of State, but alleged that “political pressure from the top” led to their findings being ignored.
“Our anti-fraud effort was labelled a rogue operation,” she said, adding that politicians were involved and that officials were discouraged from pursuing investigations. She alleged the pushback was partly aimed at appeasing Indian political leaders.
Siddiqui, who adjudicated more than 51,000 non-immigrant visas during her Chennai posting, said Hyderabad was the “most concerning” region for visa fraud.
She remarked that, as an Indian-American, it was painful to acknowledge the extent of fraud and bribery she witnessed.
She also claimed that proxy candidates routinely showed up for interviews, some applicants avoided interviews with American officers altogether, and certain Indian managers allegedly facilitated jobs in exchange for money.
Indians continue to be the largest beneficiaries of the H-1B programme, receiving about 70% of all visas issued in 2024.
Both H-1B and F-1 student visas have increasingly become the focus of scrutiny from MAGA-aligned political groups in the US.
