US Senator Eric Schmitt triggered a row after linking Hyderabad’s famous Chilkur Balaji Temple to what he called a “visa cartel” while speaking about alleged abuse of America’s visa system. The temple, popularly known as the “Visa Temple”, is famous among devotees who pray there hoping to get US visas approved. Many people visit the temple before visa interviews or after receiving approvals as a matter of faith.
Programs like H-1B, L-1, F-1, and OPT are displacing U.S. workers, suppressing wages, and hollowing out our middle class. Fraud and abuse are rampant.
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) May 13, 2026
American workers are losing, so who's winning?
Answer: The "Visa Cartel"🧵
What was Schmitt’s claim?
Schmitt claimed that abuse of H-1B, F-1, OPT and L-1 visa programs was hurting American workers. In a series of posts, he alleged that companies were hiring foreign workers at lower wages while Americans lost jobs.
“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, subsidized by Americans,” Schmitt wrote.
He further claimed, “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 labor into US jobs while Americans get passed over.”
Schmitt also targeted student visas and work permits linked to them. “F-1 visas are a silent job killer too. Foreign students (India accounted for almost half) get taxpayer-subsidized work permits, corporations get no payroll taxes or wage rules. They flow into H-1B, then green cards, while U.S. grads with debt compete against cheaper labor,” he wrote.
About ‘visa temple’
The row started after Schmitt mentioned the temple directly. “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. American workers shouldn’t have to compete against a system this gamed,” he wrote. He added, “Enough. We must end the fraud, shutdown these networks, close the loopholes, and ensure we serve American workers.” Chilkur Balaji Temple, located near Hyderabad, is widely known as the “Visa Temple” because thousands of devotees visit it seeking blessings for overseas travel and visa approvals, especially for the United States. Over the years, it has become a popular place for students and professionals hoping to study or work abroad.
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