2K Visa Appointments Cancelled on Grounds of "Bots" – New India Abroad

 

In a major disruption to U.S. visa processing, nearly 2k visa appointments cancelled on grounds of "bots" making them has sparked confusion and frustration among applicants worldwide—especially in India, where demand is high and appointments are scarce.

According to sources close to U.S. consular operations, a wave of suspicious bookings was flagged across several embassy and consulate locations. It is believed that automated bots, deployed by unauthorized agents, were used to instantly grab appointment slots, which were later resold at inflated prices to desperate applicants. This prompted the U.S. State Department to cancel approximately 2,000 appointments that showed patterns consistent with non-human interference.

This sudden action left many legitimate applicants stunned. "I had waited for months to find an appointment. I thought I was finally set, and then it got cancelled without any clear explanation," said R. Mehta, a student visa applicant from Delhi, in an interview with New India Abroad.

Officials clarified that the move is part of a wider effort to maintain fairness in the appointment system. While no individual applicants were accused of wrongdoing directly, the method used to book their slots violated the system’s terms of use. Many were likely unaware that the agents they hired relied on automated tools to secure bookings.

The issue of 2k visa appointments cancelled on grounds of "bots" making them underscores a long-standing problem in countries like India, where third-party agents have turned visa booking into a high-stakes business. Bots can scan and reserve slots faster than human users, giving them an unfair advantage and effectively locking out genuine applicants.

Speaking to New India Abroad, immigration experts urged applicants to avoid unofficial booking services and to remain patient with the official systems. “Using third-party bots may seem like a shortcut, but it risks losing your appointment altogether,” warned Rajan Kulkarni, a Mumbai-based visa consultant.

U.S. officials have stated that all future appointments should be made strictly through the official scheduling platform, and that any attempt to manipulate the system will be addressed firmly. Affected applicants are being asked to rebook their appointments, though new availability may take weeks or even months to appear.

This development serves as a wake-up call for both authorities and applicants. As visa systems increasingly rely on digital platforms, they also become more vulnerable to exploitation. For applicants, the safest route remains patience, transparency, and direct engagement with the official process.