220,000 H-1B visas from one Indian hub: How Indian-American Mahvash Siddiqui flagged fraud in the system

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The US H-1B visa programme has come under renewed scrutiny after a former Indian-American diplomat alleged that widespread and organised fraud has distorted the system for years, particularly in India.

Mahvash Siddiqui, who served as a consular officer at the US consulate in Chennai between 2005 and 2007, has claimed that a large proportion of H-1B visas issued to Indian applicants were obtained through dishonest means. Her statements have been echoed by former US Congressman and economist Dr Dave Brat, who described the situation as “industrial-scale fraud”.

Indians have long been the largest recipients of H-1B visas, which are used by American companies to hire specialised foreign professionals. Siddiqui believes the scale of wrongdoing within the system raises serious questions about how it is being managed and enforced.

‘Fraud was known but ignored’

Siddiqui shared her account on a podcast, making it clear that she was speaking in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the US government. She recalled handling visa applications at one of the busiest processing centres in the world.

Chennai, earlier known as Madras, processes a massive volume of H-1B and H-4 visas every year. Siddiqui pointed out that in 2024 alone, the post handled around 220,000 H-1B visas and 140,000 H-4 visas for dependents.

During her time at the consulate, she said officers began noticing troubling patterns almost immediately. According to her, many applications were supported by fake qualifications, forged paperwork or applicants who did not meet the skill level required for specialised roles.

She claimed that between 80 and 90 per cent of H-1B visas issued to Indians involved some form of fraud.

“We quickly learnt about the fraud. We wrote a dissent cable to the Secretary of State, detailing the systematic fraud we were uncovering. But due to political pressure from the top, our adjudication was overturned,” she said.

Siddiqui added that despite these warnings, no meaningful action was taken. She alleged that decisions were reversed because of “political pressure”, allowing the system to continue as it was.

Numbers that do not add up

Dr Dave Brat, a former Republican lawmaker, also questioned the figures emerging from Chennai. He pointed out a striking discrepancy between the national visa cap and approvals from a single region.

“That tells you something’s going on right there. Then there’s a cap of only 85,000 H-1B visas, but somehow one district in India, the Madras (Chennai) district, got 220,000, two and a half times the cap Congress has set,” Brat said.

He described the situation as evidence of large-scale manipulation within the system.

Alleged abuse of the system

Siddiqui said she personally adjudicated more than 51,000 non-immigrant visas during her posting, most of them under the H-1B category. She explained that the Chennai consulate handled applications from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Hyderabad, with Hyderabad emerging as the most problematic region in her experience.

She also spoke about practices that went beyond paperwork fraud.

“As an Indian-American, I hate to say this, but fraud and bribery are normalised in India,” she said.

According to her, some applicants avoided interviews if the officer was American, while others reportedly used proxy candidates to appear in their place. She further claimed that certain Indian managers were offering jobs to fellow nationals in return for a portion of their salaries, turning legitimate employment opportunities into profit schemes.

Questioning the foundation of the programme

Siddiqui also challenged the long-held belief that the US faces a shortage of skilled STEM professionals and therefore needs heavy reliance on foreign labour. She argued that the real problem lies in the integrity of the visa allocation process rather than in a lack of domestic talent.

While US authorities have not officially responded to these latest claims, the allegations have reignited debate around reforming the H-1B system and tightening oversight mechanisms.