As frustration over long US visa wait-times mounts, the US Embassy in India has launched a #VisaFriday safety campaign warning applicants against touts who promise "guaranteed" approvals or faster interview slots for a fee. In a social-media advisory circulated on 26 December, consular officials reminded Indians that the only legitimate booking channel is the ustraveldocs.com portal and that no third-party agent can influence the outcome of a visa interview.
The advisory follows a spike in scams that exploit applicants affected by recent cancellations of H-1B, B-1/B-2 and F-1 appointments. Fraudsters typically circulate WhatsApp messages offering back-door slots at consulates for sums ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh. Victims not only lose money but risk being flagged for presenting forged documents, which can trigger multi-year entry bans.
![US Embassy in India issues fraud alert: ‘No agent can guarantee a US visa’]()
Embassy officials urge travellers to verify any communication against the DS-160 confirmation number and to pay fees only on the official CGI Federal payment system. They also reminded the public that all visa fees are non-refundable and denominated only in US dollars or their rupee equivalent.
Corporate mobility managers should update traveller education programmes, instructing employees to avoid unofficial agents and to report phishing attempts to [email protected]. Legal counsel add that companies sponsoring H-1B renewals should monitor the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) for waiver-of-interview pilot programmes that may reopen in January 2026, potentially bypassing the need for an in-person visit altogether.
For individual applicants, the safest strategy is to set up an account on the official portal and check for released appointments multiple times a day – popular time slots often re-appear when other applicants cancel.
The advisory follows a spike in scams that exploit applicants affected by recent cancellations of H-1B, B-1/B-2 and F-1 appointments. Fraudsters typically circulate WhatsApp messages offering back-door slots at consulates for sums ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh. Victims not only lose money but risk being flagged for presenting forged documents, which can trigger multi-year entry bans.
Embassy officials urge travellers to verify any communication against the DS-160 confirmation number and to pay fees only on the official CGI Federal payment system. They also reminded the public that all visa fees are non-refundable and denominated only in US dollars or their rupee equivalent.
Corporate mobility managers should update traveller education programmes, instructing employees to avoid unofficial agents and to report phishing attempts to [email protected]. Legal counsel add that companies sponsoring H-1B renewals should monitor the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) for waiver-of-interview pilot programmes that may reopen in January 2026, potentially bypassing the need for an in-person visit altogether.
For individual applicants, the safest strategy is to set up an account on the official portal and check for released appointments multiple times a day – popular time slots often re-appear when other applicants cancel.
Source: NDTV
