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'Visa cartel has own visa temple': US Senator targets Indians
15 May 2026

United States Senator Eric Schmitt has sparked a controversy by targeting Hyderabad's Chilkur Balaji Temple, also known as the "Visa Temple."

The Republican senator from Missouri took to the social media platform X to criticize the US employment-based visa system.

He alleged that the system suppresses local wages and forms a global "Visa Cartel" with its own "Visa Temple" which displaces American workers.

Schmitt's claims on foreign students
Visa impact

Schmitt claimed that programs like H-1B, L-1, F-1, and Optional Practical Training (OPT) are "hollowing" the American middle class.

He alleged that foreign students, nearly half of whom are Indians, receive taxpayer-subsidized work permits without payroll taxes or wage rules for corporations.

"They flow into H-1B, then green cards, while US grads with debt compete against cheaper labor," he wrote on X.

Schmitt alleges ethnic favoritism in visa process
Interview leaks

Taking his argument further, Schmitt alleged that Indian visa holders share confidential interview questions with other applicants from India.

He wrote, "Big Tech quietly locks out Americans by routing jobs through these pipelines. Merit is now replaced by ethnic favoritism."

Hyderabad is home to several temples associated with US visa approval dreams, especially among students and IT professionals.

India accounts for about 70-80% of all H-1B visa approvals
Visa prayers

The Chilkur Balaji Temple is the most famous of these, where devotees seek blessings for their US visa applications.

India accounts for about 70-80% of all H-1B visa approvals, much higher than China's 12%.

Schmitt's comments have sparked a debate over the impact of these programs on American workers and the role of religious institutions in visa application processes.