'Fake Degrees, Bribes': Indian-Origin US Diplomat Pushes For H-1B Freeze, Flags Fraud

Last Updated:December 19, 2025, 19:58 IST

Siddiqui urges a pause on H-1B visas, citing fraud in Chennai and Hyderabad, and calls for stricter checks to protect US STEM workers and curb abuse by lobbyists.

Siddiqui (in pic) argued that the programme has turned into a “de facto immigration shortcut dominated by one country.” (Image: US Department of State)

Indian-origin US diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui has called for a pause on the H-1B visa programme pending a full audit, citing widespread fraud that she says she witnessed first-hand during her posting at the US consulate in Chennai.

Writing for the Center for Immigration Studies, Siddiqui alleged that fake degrees, forged bank statements and fabricated marriage and birth certificates are openly sold in Hyderabad’s Ameerpet to cater to what she described as an H-1B “scam" sustained through “bribery" and the “cultural normalization" of fraud.

“Many H-1Bs claiming computer science degrees had no related coursework or programming skills; basic coding tests often exposed them. Corrupt HR officials in both India and the US facilitated fake employment letters, allowing underqualified candidates to bypass scrutiny… American IT graduates — trained through rigorous programs — were left unemployed or were forced to train their H-1B replacements for lower pay," Siddiqui wrote.

In an earlier podcast, Siddiqui referred to Chennai as the “H-1B visa fraud capital of the world," recalling her time as one of 15 junior visa officers there. “H-1B visas became the perfect loophole for many Indian nationals aged 20–45 to enter the U.S. with fraudulent or inflated credentials, displacing qualified American IT and STEM workers… From 2005–2007, Chennai adjudicated ~100,000 H-1Bs annually. Today, demand has exploded to 400,000-plus per year," she said.

Siddiqui also accused Indian lobbyists and Silicon Valley firms of misleading US lawmakers. She argued that the programme, intended to attract global talent, has turned into a “de facto immigration shortcut dominated by one country."

Her recommendations include pausing new H-1B issuances, strengthening credential verification, prioritizing US STEM graduates, banning nepotistic hiring practices, enforcing stricter penalties for fraud, and expanding site inspections.

News india 'Fake Degrees, Bribes': Indian-Origin US Diplomat Pushes For H-1B Freeze, Flags Fraud

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