In a fiery debate that has reignited longstanding concerns about the U.S. H-1B visa system, former Congressman and economist Dr. Dave Brat has leveled sharp accusations against what he called "industrial-scale fraud" dominating the program, particularly citing India’s outsized role in recent years. Brat, speaking on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast on November 26, 2025, argued that the H-1B system, originally designed to bring highly skilled talent into the U.S. workforce, has been "captured by fraud networks" and is now failing to serve its intended purpose.
At the heart of Brat’s criticism is a startling claim: "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 asserted, according to Business Today. He further alleged that India alone accounts for 71 percent of all H-1B visas, compared to just 12 percent for China, a disparity he says points to systemic manipulation. "When you hear H-1B, think of your family, because these fraudulent visas just stole their future," Brat warned, framing the issue not just as a matter of policy but as a threat to American workers and their families.
Backing up Brat’s claims, U.S. State Department figures confirm that Chennai has become one of the world’s busiest H-1B consular posts, handling applications from India’s major tech states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana. In 2024 alone, the consulate reportedly processed an estimated 220,000 H-1B visas and a further 140,000 H-4 dependent visas, far surpassing the federal annual cap for H-1Bs. These numbers have fueled a growing debate over whether the program is being subverted by fraud and whether it continues to meet America’s economic needs.
Adding a personal and professional perspective to the controversy is Mahvash Siddiqui, an Indian American Foreign Service Officer who served at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai between 2005 and 2007. Siddiqui’s recollections echo Brat’s concerns and add a layer of detail to the allegations. "Eighty to ninety percent of the H-1B visas from India were fake," Siddiqui stated in a recorded interview, as reported by Business Today. She described widespread abuse during her tenure, with many applicants presenting forged degrees, fake employment documents, or simply lacking the skills the program was meant to attract.
Siddiqui singled out Hyderabad’s Ameerpet area as a notorious hub for visa manipulation. "Hyderabad was the most concerning," she explained. The Ameerpet district, she alleged, was home to shops that not only offered basic visa guidance but also actively helped applicants fabricate supporting documents—ranging from educational credentials to marriage certificates. "As an Indian-American, I hate to say this, but fraud and bribery are normalized in India," Siddiqui added, expressing both professional frustration and personal disappointment.
The alleged schemes didn’t stop at document forgery. Siddiqui described how some applicants would attempt to sidestep scrutiny by skipping interviews with American officers or sending proxy candidates in their place. Even more troubling, she claimed that certain hiring managers in India engaged in pay-to-play arrangements, issuing job offers to support H-1B petitions in exchange for money. "Some visa applicants reportedly skipped interviews or used proxies, and pay-to-play schemes involving hiring managers were alleged," Siddiqui noted, painting a picture of a system beset by organized manipulation.
Efforts by Siddiqui and her team to clamp down on fraud, however, met with stiff resistance. "Their anti-fraud drive was called a ‘rogue operation,’" she recalled. Siddiqui said there was significant political pressure not to pursue investigations, with even some politicians allegedly involved in discouraging further scrutiny. "Internal investigations into fraud were suppressed due to significant political pressure," she said, highlighting the challenges faced by those trying to uphold the integrity of the visa process.
Brat’s and Siddiqui’s allegations come at a time of shifting rhetoric in U.S. immigration policy. While the H-1B program has long been a lightning rod for criticism from some conservative quarters—particularly those aligned with the MAGA movement—former President Donald Trump has recently offered a more nuanced position. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump supports bringing in foreign workers "just at the beginning," with the intention to eventually replace them with American workers. Trump himself has insisted that the U.S. needs global talent, especially in high-skill sectors, to address shortages in the domestic workforce.
Despite the controversy, the numbers speak for themselves: in 2024, Indian citizens made up an estimated 70 percent of all H-1B visa holders, reinforcing India’s dominant position in supplying skilled labor to the U.S. technology sector. This dominance has not gone unnoticed, and it continues to draw political scrutiny and public debate. Critics argue that the system, as it currently operates, disadvantages American professionals and undermines the original spirit of the H-1B program.
Supporters of the program, meanwhile, point to the ongoing need for highly skilled workers in fields like technology and engineering—sectors where the U.S. struggles to fill positions domestically. They argue that global talent is essential for maintaining America’s competitive edge and that the vast majority of visa holders contribute positively to the economy. However, the allegations of large-scale fraud, particularly centered in specific regions of India, have prompted calls for tighter oversight and reform.
It’s clear that the debate over the H-1B visa program is far from settled. On one side, voices like Brat’s and Siddiqui’s warn of a system overwhelmed by fraud and in need of urgent repair. On the other, policymakers and business leaders stress the importance of keeping America open to the world’s best and brightest. The truth, as is often the case, likely lies somewhere in between—demanding both vigilance against abuse and recognition of the value skilled immigrants bring to the U.S. economy.
As the U.S. continues to grapple with the challenges of immigration reform, the future of the H-1B program will remain a contentious issue. The coming months may see new proposals for oversight, stricter enforcement, or even fundamental changes to the way America attracts talent from abroad. For now, the spotlight remains firmly on Chennai—and on the broader questions of fairness, security, and opportunity that the visa debate brings to the fore.
