MUMBAI, INDIA, July 26, 2005: (HPI note: This article is quite useful in understanding American visa procedures in India, and should especially be useful to temples bringing in priests and other religious workers.)
It was singer Sonali Rathod’s turn at the visa counter at the US consulate in Mumbai. An American officer manning the counter asked her if she was a singer. She replied that she was–and was shocked when the gentleman asked, ‘How about singing a nice song for me?’ Sonali landed on her feet, though, and joked that it would cost him. He reiterated his seriousness, and ultimately, she had to hum a line or two. It was a “funny feeling” but that was how she got her visa three years ago. It is an odd procedure, and it cannot be confirmed that it is followed by American consulates all over the world. But this is the only way the Mumbai consulate can keep a check on whether the “artiste” who is seeking a visa to perform in the US, is not actually an illegal immigrant who will melt into the crowd once he gets there.
Official spokesperson for the US Consulate Linda Cheatham says, “Unfortunately, the consular section in Mumbai has encountered a significant level of fraud among applicants for non-immigrant visas. One method of fraud involves unscrupulous persons ‘padding’ delegations or performing troupes with persons masquerading as members of the delegation or troupe in order to gain illegal entry into the United States.”
She is not wrong here. Both famous and little known show organizers and film-makers have actually escorted such “kabootars,” as these illegal immigrants are called, into the US. (HPI adds: “kabootar” gets translated as “pigeon scam.”) The “going rate for helping kabootars fly to greener pastures ranges from US$25,000 to $50,000. Those groups who help them migrate find the cash helpful because it offsets the hotel bills and travel costs of the rest of the team.
For the full article, click “source” above