Speeches and Remarks 2007

May 9, 2007

Statement by Geoffrey Pyatt, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy, on Increased Demand for U.S. Visas by Unqualified Applicants

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.
 
America is an open society, proud to welcome visitors from all over the world. However, in light of this rush and the wake of reports on human smuggling to the United States and other countries, the U.S. Mission to India is increasing its vigilance to eliminate illegal smuggling and visa fraud - people intending to illegally migrate to the United States.

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.

We especially want to tell everyone in India that no firm or person can help you obtain a U.S. visa.  The only way to obtain a U.S. visa is to present legitimate documents.  The U.S. cooperates with the Government of India on the arrest of people with false documents and those who seek gain U.S. visas fraudulently.