The H-1B visa program is in hot water. Former US Representative and economist Dave Brat just dropped a bombshell, alleging “industrial-scale fraud” that centers right on the Chennai consulate.
The Shocking Math: Cap vs. Reality
Here’s the kicker: The national cap for H-1B visas is fixed at 85,000 per year. Brat claims that the Chennai district alone received 220,000 visas. That is 2.5 times the cap Congress set.
Brat pointed out the numbers don’t lie: 71% of H-1B visas come from India, versus just 12% from China.“That tells you something’s going on right there,” he said.
The Chennai consulate is one of the busiest in the world, processing high-footfall applications from four major tech regions—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana.14 The volume is high. But the accusation is not about volume; it’s about fraud.
The Allegation: Fake Degrees and Stolen Jobs
Brat went straight to the political heart of the issue, framing it as a threat to American jobs: “When I say H-1B visa, you need to think of your cousins… One of these folks comes over and claims they’re skilled; they’re not. That’s the fraud. They just took away your family’s job, and your mortgage, and your house, and all that.”
His claims echo a former Indian-American diplomat, Mahvash Siddiqui, who served in Chennai.15 She claimed to have seen “industrial-scale” fraud firsthand:
Forged Credentials: She alleged 80%–90%$ of Indian H-1B visas were fake—based on fake employer letters, forged degrees, or applicants who were not genuinely highly skilled.
The Hub: She singled out the Ameerpet area in Hyderabad as a place that openly coached applicants and sold them fake employment letters and educational certificates.
Political Pressure: She claimed that when consular officers flagged these fraud patterns, their efforts were suppressed under “significant political pressure” and called a “rogue operation.”
This whole debate is part of the larger MAGA-aligned anti-immigration agenda in the US. It’s ongoing. The political heat on the H-1B program, especially on India, is not cooling down.
