Uncovering H-1B Visa Fraud: Fake Degrees and Political Pressure Revealed

Indian-American diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui has raised serious concerns over the integrity of the H-1B visa program, particularly related to Indian applicants. Speaking on a podcast, Siddiqui alleged that the majority of H-1B visas issued to Indians—up to 80-90%—were granted based on fraudulent means, including fake degrees, forged documents, and unqualified candidates.

Siddiqui served at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai from 2005 to 2007, one of the busiest centers for processing H-1B and H-4 visas. She shared that during her tenure, consular officers uncovered significant fraud in visa applications and reported these findings to the Secretary of State through a dissent cable. However, the efforts to counter the fraud were suppressed due to top-level political pressure.

During the two years she was stationed in Chennai, Siddiqui claims to have processed more than 51,000 non-immigrant visa applications, predominantly H-1Bs. According to her, Hyderabad was particularly problematic among the four states under the consulate’s jurisdiction—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Telangana (Hyderabad).

She alleged that some visa applicants avoided interviews if the consular officer was American, and proxy candidates were often sent instead. Siddiqui also claimed that Indian managers took bribes in exchange for offering job opportunities to fellow Indians. She added that the systematic fraud was partially allowed to persist to please Indian political interests.

Pointing out her Indian heritage, Siddiqui expressed sadness over the normalization of bribery and fraud in the system. While the H-1B visa is intended to bring talented professionals to the U.S., she challenged the narrative that the U.S. is suffering from a STEM talent shortage that justifies high numbers of foreign hires.

H-1B visa fraud, Mahvash Siddiqui, US consulate Chennai, Indian visa applicants, fake degrees