NY Consulate Warns Community Against Unscrupulous Travel Agents
India-West Staff Reporter
NEW YORK, NY – The Indian Consulate in New York has issued a warning to the Indian community regarding the use of unscrupulous agents for consular services. According to the Consulate General of India (CGI), these agents have been found to overcharge applicants and submit false documents, leading to significant issues for those seeking services.
Several instances have come to the attention of the Consulate General where travel agents have excessively charged applicants for assistance with consular services such as OCI, Visa, passport, and Emergency Certificates. The fees charged by these agents are often much higher than the official fees set by the Consulate. In many cases, agents have also provided baseless assurances of expedited services. Official fee details for various consular services are available on the Consulate’s website, and it is important to note that no additional fee is charged by the Consulate or VFS Global, the authorized service provider.
Moreover, the Consulate has discovered that agents have submitted fake documents, such as identity proofs, residential addresses, and utility bills, on behalf of applicants, often without their knowledge. This not only causes avoidable delays but also violates Indian regulations and places applicants in legal jeopardy in the U.S.
The Consulate has also noted the presence of several fake E-visa websites that mimic the Government of India’s official sites to mislead applicants.
It strongly urged the community to use only official channels for all consular services to avoid being duped.
