Hyderabad’s Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as the “Visa Temple”, unexpectedly became the centre of an online rant of US Senator Eric Schmitt, who was criticising the US H-1B visa programme.
The Republican senator from Missouri was attacking the US employment-based visa system in a series of posts on X, alleging it suppresses local wages and creates a global “Visa Cartel” that displaces American workers.
Referring to Chilkur Balaji Temple, Schmitt claimed that there is a “Visa Temple” for the “Visa Cartel” to pray at to get their US visa.
“The ‘Visa Cartel’ has its own ‘Visa Temple’ in Hyderabad, which sees thousands of Indians circling altars and getting passports blessed for U.S. work visas,” he wrote. “American workers shouldn’t have to compete against a system this gamed.”
The Republican claimed that US visa programmes like , L-1, F-1 and Optional Practical Training (OPT) are “hollowing” the American middle class. “Fraud and abuse are rampant.”
“Shell companies and kickback schemes funnel cheap, visa-dependent labour into US jobs while Americans get passed over,” Schmitt said. “Billions now flow to India for AI training instead, subsidised by Americans.”
He said the L-1 visas have become a big business for the Visa Cartel. “Foreign firms set up sham ‘new offices,’ transfer managers, and BYPASS wage floors or caps.”
Schmitt called the “a silent job killer” and said foreign students, almost half of whom are Indians, get hired by big tech companies with below median wages.
They “get taxpayer-subsidized work permits, corporations get no payroll taxes or wage rules,” he said. “They flow into H-1B, then , while U.S. grads with debt compete against cheaper labour.”
The senator then claimed the “cartel’s work” does not finish there. He said Indian visa holders share confidential questions that are asked in interviews with other applicants from India.
“Big Tech contractors have exposed Indian visa holders sharing confidential interview questions with applicants from India,” he claimed. “Big Tech quietly locks out Americans by routing jobs through these pipelines. Merit is now replaced by ethnic favouritism.”
Schmitt concluded his thread saying, “Enough. We must end the fraud, shutdown these networks, close the loopholes, and ensure we serve American workers.”
Why did Schmitt mention Chilkur Balaji Temple in his rant post?
The great American dream often begins with a prayer in Hyderabad. Across the city, a unique spiritual ecosystem has emerged around US visa approvals, heavily frequented by hopeful students and tech workers.
The epicentre of this phenomenon is the historic Chilkur Balaji Temple. Affectionately dubbed the “Visa Temple” by locals, it serves as a final, faithful stop for applicants seeking a divine stamp of approval before facing the consulate.
India consistently accounts for roughly 70-80 per cent of total H-1B visa approvals, significantly higher than China, which represents about 12 per cent.
How did netizens react?
Social media users slammed Eric Schmitt for dragging the temple into the controversy and called him racist.
However, a large number of netizens agreed with the senator and called for stricter “visa scrutiny, and even reevaluate the visas already granted if they truly wanted highly skilled individuals.”
