The US Department of State launched an online tip portal on September 23, 2026, letting the public report suspected visa fraud and misuse directly to the department. Reports can be filed at travel.state.gov/reportvisafraud, and you do not have to give your name.
According to the official State Department announcement, many of the visa fraud cases it has acted on during President Trump’s second term were discovered through tips from the public.
What Can Be Reported
Visa fraud can include falsified documents or travel plans, brokers arranging sham marriages, shell companies, fabricated job offers, and birth tourism. The form covers these visa types:
- Tourist or business visas
- Work visas
- Student visas
- Immigrant and family-based visas
- Other immigration or visa fraud
The portal also accepts reports against entities such as schools, companies or law firms involved in misuse, Hindustan Times reports.
How to Submit a Report
Reports can be filed anonymously. Providing a name and email is optional but lets investigators follow up with questions if needed.
The form asks for as much as you know about the person or entity:
- For a person: full name, A-Number, petition or receipt number, passport number, visa number, date of birth, address, email, phone number, social media profiles and nationality.
- For an entity: name, address, website or social media links, phone number, email and the names of people linked to it.
The department warns that knowingly submitting false information can lead to fines, imprisonment or both.
What Happens After Submission
Under the portal’s privacy notice, information may be used to start or support law-enforcement investigations and reviews of immigration actions, and shared, where appropriate, with federal, state, local or foreign law-enforcement agencies.
The department says it will hold violators accountable, including by revoking visas and referring fraud for further investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as the USCIS tip form?
No. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which handles green cards and petitions, runs its own tip form for immigration fraud such as fake documents, identity fraud and marriage fraud. The new portal is the State Department’s channel for fraud and misuse of US visas.
A fake visa agent cheated me. Where do I report it?
The State Department says crimes not related to the US legal immigration system should go to other agencies or local police. USCIS advises reporting immigration scams to the Federal Trade Commission, and to your local police if you lost money. USCIS says reporting a scam will not affect your immigration application or petition.
Can I report visa fraud to the US Embassy in India by email?
Yes. The US Embassy in India takes fraud reports by email: New Delhi [email protected], Mumbai [email protected], Chennai [email protected] and Hyderabad [email protected]. It says all emails are handled confidentially, but it cannot tell you what action was taken.
Will reporting someone affect my own US visa?
The State Department has not said. You can report without giving your name, but knowingly giving false information can lead to fines, imprisonment or both.
How do I know I am on the official portal?
Official US government websites end in .gov. The portal is at travel.state.gov/reportvisafraud, the address given in the State Department’s announcement.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Launch of Online Visa Fraud Tip Portal
- U.S. Department of State, Report Visa Fraud Portal
- U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India, Report Fraud or Criminal Activity
- USCIS, Report Tips to USCIS
- USCIS, Report Immigration Scams
- Hindustan Times, US launches new dedicated portal to report visa fraud and misuse
- Economic Times, US Department of State launches online portal to report suspected visa fraud and misuse
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