Indian-American diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui has alleged widespread and systematic fraud within the H-1B visa program. According to her, nearly 80–90% of the H-1B visas issued to Indian applicants are fraudulent, often involving fake degrees, forged documents, or underqualified applicants. Siddiqui shared these insights based on her experience as a consular officer in Chennai, one of the busiest centers for processing H-1B visas. In 2024, the Chennai consulate processed 220,000 H-1B and 140,000 H-4 visas, with approximately 70% of them awarded to Indian nationals.
She claimed that people avoided interviews with American officers, used proxy candidates, and even paid bribes to secure jobs. Some institutions in Hyderabad allegedly trained visa applicants using fake documents. Siddiqui revealed that during her posting from 2005 to 2007, she and her team uncovered multiple fraudulent cases and informed U.S. authorities, yet no action was taken due to political resistance and involvement of influential figures.
Economist and former U.S. Representative Dave Brat supported her claims, stating that the H-1B program exceeds the official annual cap of 85,000 visas. He noted Chennai alone processed 220,000 visas, far surpassing the limit. Brat criticized the visa system for being heavily exploited and said nearly 71% of H-1B recipients are Indian, with China coming in a distant second. Linking the fraud to economic concerns, Brat emphasized that unqualified foreign workers are being hired under the guise of skill, harming American workers.
