US Economist Alleges Massive 'Industrial Fraud': 'Chennai Got 220,000 H-1B Visas'

Last Updated:November 26, 2025, 07:17 IST

Brat stated that the H-1B system had been "captured by industrial-scale fraud," claiming that visa allocations from India had exceeded statutory limits.

Former US Representative and economist Dr Dave Brat

Former US Representative and economist Dr Dave Brat has accused the H-1B visa system of widespread fraud, alleging that one Indian district obtained more than twice the total number of visas allowed nationwide. Brat’s comments have reignited scrutiny of the programme as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on H-1B visas.

Speaking on a podcast, Brat stated that the H-1B system had been “captured by industrial-scale fraud," claiming that visa allocations from India had exceeded statutory limits.

“71 per cent of H-1B visas come from India, and only 12 per cent from China. That tells you something’s going on right there," Brat said. “There’s a cap of only 85,000 H-1B visas, yet somehow one district in India — the Madras (Chennai) district — got 220,000. That’s 2.5 times the cap Congress has set. So that’s the scam."

Brat framed the issue as a direct threat to American workers. “When someone comes over claiming to be skilled — they are not, that is the fraud. They are taking away your family’s job, your mortgage, your house, all of that."

Reports indicate that the US consulate in Chennai processed roughly 220,000 H-1B visas and an additional 140,000 H-4 dependent visas in 2024. The consulate handles applications from four major regions — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana — making it one of the busiest H-1B processing centres in the world.

Former US diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui has also echoed these allegations, describing the H-1B system as fraught with forged documents, fabricated qualifications, and proxy applicants. She adjudicated at least 51,000 non-immigrant visas between 2005 and 2007, most of them H-1Bs. “80–90 per cent of the H-1B visas from India were fake — either fake degrees or forged documents, or applicants who were not highly skilled," she said.

Siddiqui identified Hyderabad as a particular hotspot, claiming that Ameerpet, a well-known training hub, hosted shops that openly coached visa applicants and sold fake employment letters, educational certificates, and marriage documents, India Today reported.

Siddiqui stated that consular officers’ efforts to identify large-scale fraud were met with resistance and political pressure. She claimed that their anti-fraud initiative was internally dismissed as a “rogue operation."

“As an Indian-American, I hate to say this, but fraud and bribery are normalised in India," she added. Siddiqui also alleged that some applicants avoided interviews if the officer was American, that proxy candidates sometimes appeared on their behalf, and that certain hiring managers in India allegedly demanded money for job offers used to support visa applications.

The H-1B visa allows US companies to hire foreign workers in specialised fields, particularly technology. Indian nationals account for around 70 per cent of holders, making India the largest source of skilled migrants entering the US labour market.

Both H-1B and F-1 student visas have increasingly been targeted by MAGA-aligned political figures, who argue that these programmes are abused and harm American workers.

However, the US President Donald Trump has recently expressed support for the H-1B visa programme, extensively used by Indian tech professionals, stating that the US needs global talent to fill workforce gaps.

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