Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 26: Former US Congressman and economist Dr. Dave Brat has accused the H-1B visa programme of large-scale fraud, highlighting that the Chennai consular district in India processed more than double the annual statutory cap for the visa category. Speaking on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Brat claimed the programme has been “captured by industrial-scale fraud,” with a disproportionate share of visas going to Indian applicants.

“Seventy-one per cent of H-1B visas come from India and only 12 per cent from China,” Brat said. “There is a cap of only 85,000 H-1B visas, yet one district in India, Chennai, received 220,000. That is two-and-a-half times the cap set by Congress. That is the scam.”

The U.S. Consulate in Chennai, serving Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana, processed approximately 220,000 H-1B visas and 140,000 H-4 dependent visas in 2024, making it one of the world’s busiest centres for skilled-worker visas. Brat linked the alleged misuse of the programme to threats for American workers, claiming fraudulent applications “took away your family’s job and your mortgage.”

Dr. Brat’s allegations echo those of Mahvash Siddiqui, an Indian-origin U.S. Foreign Service officer who served at the Chennai consulate between 2005 and 2007. Speaking on a podcast, Siddiqui claimed that a majority of H-1B visas issued to Indian applicants involved fraudulent documentation, including fabricated educational credentials and candidates who did not meet highly skilled employment requirements.

Siddiqui also alleged proxy appearances during interviews, attempts to bypass scrutiny, and instances where hiring managers demanded bribes for job offers used to support visa applications.

The revelations come amid heightened scrutiny of the H-1B programme under the Donald Trump administration, which has emphasized reforms to prevent misuse of skilled-worker visas and ensure fair access for American workers.