New Delhi.IBNS: The US Embassy in India cancelled over 2,000 visa applications due to fraud-related activities. 

The embassy said it detected major violations in the appointment system by "bad actors" or bots and suspended their accounts.

"Consular Team India is cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies," the US Embassy wrote in a post on X.

"Effective immediately, we are cancelling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts' scheduling privileges," they added.

B1 and B2 visas, meant for business and tourism, have seen significant backlogs in recent years.

In 2022-23, waiting times ranged from 800 to 1,000 days, prompting the US to open visa appointments for Indian applicants in Frankfurt and Bangkok.

In 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised concerns about the visa delays with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who attributed the backlog to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jaishankar again spoke about these concerns in January this year after Donald Trump assumed office for the second time.