Subscribers to MurthyIndiaBulletin and visitors of MurthyIndiaDotCom are well warned about the consequences of providing false information at the visa interview or producing fraudulent documents in support of a visa application.

In July 2011, three U.S. visa applicants at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai were arrested for using falsified documents and adopting fraudulent means to obtain a U.S. visa. The American Missions in India had earlier launched the “Fraud Prevention Program” to curb such activities. The States of Gujarat, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh were identified as hubs of such fraudulent practices. Hyderabad in particular was seen as a centre of large-scale documentation fraud. This affected visa processing not only at the Hyderabad centre but also at other posts in India.

Section 212(a)(6)(c)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, states that an alien who, by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, seeks to procure, has sought to procure, or has procured a visa, other documentation, or admission into the United States or other benefit provided under the Act, is inadmissible. This is a permanent life-long ineligibility with limited scope for a waiver.

Applicants are expected to be aware of the documents they are carrying and information they provide at the visa interview. Ignorance cannot be claimed as an excuse. Hence it is very important to be clear, unambiguous and always truthful at the visa interview. We at Murthy Immigration Services have always advised U.S. visa applicants be be honest. We have had several articles in the past advising applicants to be honest and never to use any fraudulent document or misrepresent at the interview. This arrest is yet another warning for applicants to wake up and make sure they make an honest application for visa.