Chen was curious: he decided to test a service promising quicker consular appointment access. CBC's Shaina Luck joined him to witness how it all unfolded. (Paul Poirier/CBC)
Nathan Chen, an international student from China studying in Halifax, wanted to explore the U.S., but getting a visa turned into a lengthy ordeal. To visit America, he needed a visa, requiring an in-person interview at a U.S. embassy in Canada. However, the wait times for these appointments were shockingly long — up to two years in some places. Frustrated, Chen tried constantly to secure an interview slot online, even at odd hours, but the earliest available appointment he could find was in 2025.
Chen's experience is not unique. Many Canadians, like students, workers, and residents, face similar delays when applying for U.S. visas for travel, business, or medical reasons. Some turn to online services promising to expedite the process, often for a hefty fee. Chen considered one such service advertised online, which claimed to find earlier appointment dates for 300 Canadian dollars. Despite seeing positive reviews from fellow students, he found the service unfair and risky.
Eventually, Chen decided to try the service. He transferred the money and provided his visa account details to the service based in Shanghai. However, the promised earlier appointment never materialized. Instead, Chen lost control of his account temporarily until he secured it again. Many others have faced similar scams, prompting warnings from U.S. officials about sharing personal account information.
The issue isn't just confined to Canada. Economists studying similar problems in other countries note the emergence of scalpers who exploit high demand for public services like visa appointments. These scalpers sometimes use automated systems ("bots") to snatch up appointments, reselling them for profit or manipulating the system.
To combat this, suggestions include randomizing appointment allocations daily and adding cancelled slots to the next day's pool, reducing the advantage for scalpers. Despite efforts by U.S. authorities to improve security, including enhancing backend protections, the problem persists, fuelled by growing digitalization and inequality.
Chen, despite his setbacks, managed to reclaim his money and hopes the U.S. government will take stronger action to protect applicants from third-party interference. He advises others against using unauthorized services and has secured his account to prevent further issues.
