Years-long visa backlog in U.S. sees some risking scams in attempt to get faster access

When Nathan Chen decided he wanted to see what he calls the "real America," he didn't realize how long it could take. 

The international student from China is living and studying in Halifax. It's the first time he's ever visited North America, and he's eager to explore.  

As is required for many non-Canadian citizens, he applied for a visa to enter the United States. This requires an in-person interview at one of seven U.S. embassy or consulate locations in Canada. 

That's when his problems began. 

Chen is one of thousands of people living in Canada who face U.S. visa wait times that could run as long as two years.

These wait times have generated an industry of online schemes that claim to help people jump the queue — but in some cases have taken over people's accounts or scammed them out of their money entirely. 

As Chen tried to set-up an in-person interview, he discovered the interview booking website never had any slots available. 

"I checked it every day," he said in an interview in May. 

"Two a.m., 3 a.m., 6 a.m.," he said. "I checked it many times. And at last I found the [first] available date in 2025."

As of late June, the official wait times estimates for U.S. consulates in Canada ranged from roughly 700 to 900 days, depending on location.

Many Canadian international students, temporary foreign workers or permanent residents need a visa to enter the U.S. for reasons like tourism, business deals, attending a convention or conference or medical treatment.

Chen said he wants to visit the U.S. for tourism, but having a visa would also let him fly more cheaply and easily between North America and his home near Beijing.

As he was waiting for his appointment, Chen learned about an advertisement on a Chinese-language buy-and-sell website. It claimed to be able to find earlier appointment slots within days. 

Chen contacted the Chinese advertiser and learned the cost would be $300 Cdn, but he also saw reviews from other international students at his school who claimed they'd successfully used the service.