'One district in India got 220,000 H-1B visas': US economist calls it ‘industrial fraud’
“When you hear H-1B, think of your family, because these fraudulent visas just stole their future,” Brat said, warning that such inflows displace American workers. He emphasized that India dominates H-1B issuances, while “China contributes only 12%.”
- Nov 26, 2025,
- Updated Nov 26, 2025 6:57 AM IST
Former U.S. Congressman Dr. Dave Brat has accused the H-1B visa system of being rife with “industrial-scale fraud,” claiming that visa issuances in India have exceeded legal caps by more than double.
On Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Brat, an economist and ex-Virginia representative, alleged that the employment-based H-1B visa program has been “captured” by fraud networks. Citing 2024 visa data, he claimed the U.S. consulate in Chennai issued 220,000 H-1B visas—2.5 times the 85,000 limit mandated by federal law.
“When you hear H-1B, think of your family, because these fraudulent visas just stole their future,” Brat said, warning that such inflows displace American workers. He emphasized that India dominates H-1B issuances, while “China contributes only 12%.”
U.S. State Department figures support the volume of visa activity in Chennai, one of the busiest H-1B consular posts globally, handling applications from major Indian tech states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana. In 2024, it also processed an estimated 140,000 H-4 dependent visas.
Brat’s claims echo earlier warnings from Mahvash Siddiqui, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer who served in Chennai from 2005 to 2007. In a recorded interview, Siddiqui described widespread fraud involving forged degrees and employment documents.
“Eighty to ninety percent of the H-1B visas from India were fake,” Siddiqui said, singling out Hyderabad’s Ameerpet area as a hub for forged certificates. She claimed internal efforts to investigate fraud were suppressed under “significant political pressure.”
“As an Indian-American, I hate to say this, but fraud and bribery are normalised in India,” Siddiqui added, alleging that some applicants used proxies to avoid interviews with consular officers.
The accusations land as the Trump campaign recalibrates its immigration messaging. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump supports bringing in foreign workers “just at the beginning,” with plans to eventually replace them with Americans.
Despite criticism from hardliners, Trump recently affirmed the U.S. needs global talent, especially in high-skill sectors. Indians accounted for roughly 70% of all H-1B approvals in 2024.
Former U.S. Congressman Dr. Dave Brat has accused the H-1B visa system of being rife with “industrial-scale fraud,” claiming that visa issuances in India have exceeded legal caps by more than double.
On Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Brat, an economist and ex-Virginia representative, alleged that the employment-based H-1B visa program has been “captured” by fraud networks. Citing 2024 visa data, he claimed the U.S. consulate in Chennai issued 220,000 H-1B visas—2.5 times the 85,000 limit mandated by federal law.
“When you hear H-1B, think of your family, because these fraudulent visas just stole their future,” Brat said, warning that such inflows displace American workers. He emphasized that India dominates H-1B issuances, while “China contributes only 12%.”
U.S. State Department figures support the volume of visa activity in Chennai, one of the busiest H-1B consular posts globally, handling applications from major Indian tech states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana. In 2024, it also processed an estimated 140,000 H-4 dependent visas.
Brat’s claims echo earlier warnings from Mahvash Siddiqui, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer who served in Chennai from 2005 to 2007. In a recorded interview, Siddiqui described widespread fraud involving forged degrees and employment documents.
“Eighty to ninety percent of the H-1B visas from India were fake,” Siddiqui said, singling out Hyderabad’s Ameerpet area as a hub for forged certificates. She claimed internal efforts to investigate fraud were suppressed under “significant political pressure.”
“As an Indian-American, I hate to say this, but fraud and bribery are normalised in India,” Siddiqui added, alleging that some applicants used proxies to avoid interviews with consular officers.
The accusations land as the Trump campaign recalibrates its immigration messaging. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump supports bringing in foreign workers “just at the beginning,” with plans to eventually replace them with Americans.
Despite criticism from hardliners, Trump recently affirmed the U.S. needs global talent, especially in high-skill sectors. Indians accounted for roughly 70% of all H-1B approvals in 2024.