India Press Releases

U.S. is Tough on Visa Fraud

May 16, 2007

Chandigarh – The U.S. Mission to India is alarmed by a rush of clearly unqualified visa applicants in recent weeks, creating a scarcity of visa appointments in New Delhi and Mumbai for legitimate Indian travelers during the busy summer travel season.

Speaking to reporters at the Chandigarh Press Club today, U.S. Consul General Peter Kaestner said that a significant number of applicants are relying on incorrect information and are using false documents to support their applications.

Mr. Kaestner highlighted the strict procedures the U.S. Mission follows to catch and prosecute people seeking to obtain U.S. visas with false or fraudulent information, emphasizing that not only could the use of fake documents make a person permanently ineligible to enter the United States, it could also lead to criminal prosecution in India.         

Addressing the issue of fraudulent information and documents, Mr. Kaestner said, “There are individuals and companies who are taking advantage of Indian citizens by suggesting they can provide a short cut to an American visa.  These people are deceiving innocent people into wasting their money and making it harder for legitimate travelers to obtain visa appointments.”

Highlighting the good cooperation the United States Embassy has with Indian law enforcement in prosecuting visa fraud, Mr. Kaestner said that the U.S. Embassy has investigated or prosecuted over 50 criminal cases in the past 18 months.

Mr. Kaestner stressed that fraudulent applications by unqualified individuals makes the visa application process more difficult for legitimate applicants.  Stressing that the United States continues to welcome all legitimate applicants to apply for a visa, he warned that the use of false documents could have dire consequences. 

Mr. Kaestner’s message comes a day after the U.S. Charge d’Affaires Geoffrey Pyatt stated in Chennai, “Our best advice to visa applicants is to obtain accurate, reliable instructions and information directly from us, from our web site or and from our visa appointment contractor VHS.  Tell the truth on the visa forms and in the visa interview.  Present only genuine documents.”

Information on U.S. visas is available on the U.S. Embassy’s website at http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/visa_services.html.

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