Hyderabad Visa Temple on firing line as US Senator attacks H-1B fraud

The Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as Hyderabad's "Visa Temple" or "Visa Balaji", has found itself at the centre of a heated international debate after US Senator Eric Schmitt launched a broadside against the H-1B visa system and the ecosystem surrounding it.

The iconic 500-year-old shrine, where thousands of IT professionals and students pray for success in securing US visas, became a talking point after Schmitt posted a lengthy thread on X on Wednesday attacking employment-based visa programmes such as H-1B, L1, F1, and OPT. The Missouri Republican accused these systems of displacing American workers, depressing wages, and weakening the US middle class.

In a series of pointed posts, Schmitt claimed major tech firms were laying off American employees while simultaneously filing thousands of H-1B petitions for similar roles. Citing US Department of Labour data, he alleged that 82% of foreign hires at companies such as Microsoft were brought in below median wages.

"Big tech companies have laid off thousands of US workers while filling thousands of H-1B requests for identical roles. 82% of those foreign hires came in below median wages. BILLIONS now flow to India for AI training instead, subsidised by Americans," Schmitt wrote.

The senator also alleged the existence of what he described as a coordinated "global visa cartel" involving overseas recruiters, shell companies, resume embellishment, and kickback schemes. According to him, visa-dependent workers are treated "like cattle" in a system designed to keep labour costs low.

"This is part of a global 'visa cartel'. Networks recruit overseas, lie on resumes, file petitions, and treat workers like cattle. Shell companies and kickback schemes funnel cheap, visa-dependent labour into US jobs while Americans get passed over," Schmitt alleged.

As part of his criticism, Schmitt referenced Hyderabad’s famed "Visa Temple", claiming it symbolised the scale and organisation of the global visa pipeline.

"The 'Visa Cartel' has its own 'Visa Temple' in Hyderabad, which sees thousands of Indians circling altars and getting passports blessed for US work visas," Schmitt wrote on X.

WHAT IS HYDERABAD'S VISA TEMPLE?

Located near Osman Sagar Lake, around 30 kilometres from Hyderabad, the Chilkur Balaji Temple is believed to be over five centuries old. Unlike many major temples, it has no donation box, no paid rituals, no VIP access, and does not accept money, flowers, or coconuts from devotees.

The temple is known for a unique ritual in which devotees perform 11 pradakshinas (circumambulations) while making a wish, most commonly for a US visa, and later return to complete 108 pradakshinas after their wish is fulfilled.

Its reputation as Hyderabad’s "Visa Temple" emerged during the 1990s, when engineering students and aspiring software professionals began visiting before visa interviews. Over time, stories of successful H-1B approvals spread widely, turning the shrine into a cultural landmark associated with India's tech migration to the United States.

For more than two decades, engineering graduates, IT workers, students, and even parents of those already settled abroad have flocked to the temple seeking blessings before visa appointments.

SCHMITT'S LONGSTANDING OPPOSITION TO H-1B VISA PROGRAMME

Eric Schmitt has been a vocal critic of the H-1B programme for years, repeatedly describing it as "broken and abused". He has argued that companies exploit the system to hire cheaper and more compliant foreign labour instead of American workers.

Schmitt has previously cited cases in which laid-off US employees were allegedly forced to train their foreign replacements before their jobs were outsourced.

He has also criticised what he claims is the misuse of H-1B visas for non-specialist occupations, including roles such as cashiers, dog trainers, golf professionals, and wellness coordinators. In addition, he has opposed the use of H-1B visas for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions at universities and corporations, arguing that such roles fall outside the programme’s intended "speciality occupation" framework.

The senator has also raised national security concerns surrounding the programme, particularly regarding Chinese applicants and the potential risk of intellectual property theft linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

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