A political attack on America’s H-1B visa system has unexpectedly dragged one of Hyderabad’s most famous temples into a heated online debate. Eric Schmitt, a Republican senator from the US state of Missouri, sparked controversy after targeting Hyderabad’s revered Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as the “Visa Temple”, while criticising employment-based visa programmes in the United States.
In a series of posts on X, Schmitt alleged that the H-1B visa system harms American workers and accused global corporations of creating what he called a “Visa Cartel”. Referring to the Hyderabad temple, he wrote, “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.”
Why Chilkur Balaji Temple Is Called ‘Visa Temple’
Located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the Chilkur Balaji Temple has for years become associated with students and IT professionals hoping to secure US visas. Devotees often visit the temple before visa interviews and return after approvals to offer prayers in gratitude. The temple’s nickname emerged organically over the years because of the large number of visa aspirants visiting the shrine.
Schmitt also claimed, “They flow into H-1B, then green cards, while US grads with debt compete against cheaper labour.” In another post, he alleged, “Big Tech quietly locks out Americans by routing jobs through these pipelines. Merit is now replaced by ethnic favouritism”.
India accounts for nearly 70 to 80 per cent of H-1B visa approvals annually, reflecting the strong global demand for Indian tech talent and skilled professionals.