Why Did US Senator Eric Schmitt Drag Hyderabad’s 500-Year-Old Chilkur Balaji Temple Into H-1B Visa Controversy?

Hyderabad’s Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as the Visa Temple, is at the center of controversy after a US senator dragged the city’s famous temple into a debate around the US H-1B visa system. Republican senator from Missouri, Eric Schmitt, shared several posts on X alleging that H-1B visa system harms American workers. In one of his posts, Schmitt directly referred to Hyderabad’s Chilkur Balaji Temple while intensifying his criticism of the visa ecosystem.  “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, he wrote.  American workers shouldn’t have to compete against a system this gamed,” the senator added. According to the available data, India accounts for nearly 70 to 80 per cent of annual H-1B visa approvals. 

Why Is US Senator Eric Schmitt Targetting Hyderabad’s Chilkur Balaji Temple?

Senator’s criticism came amid his criticism of several visa categories such as H-1B, L1, F1 and OPT. Eric argues that these visas are being misused in ways that harm American workers and weaken the US middle class.

The Missouri senator alleged that these programmes allow global corporations to bypass domestic hiring saying that the structural flaws in the system lead to American graduates-often burdened with student debt and are forced to compete with cheaper foreign labour.

In another post, he added, “They flow into H-1B, then green cards, while US grads with debt compete against cheaper labour.”

He further allege, “Big Tech quietly locks out Americans by routing jobs through these pipelines. Merit is now replaced by ethnic favouritism”.

Chilkur Balaji Temple and Its Association With US H-1B Visa 

The Chilkur Balaji Temple, which is located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, is a 500-year-old temple that has been for decades associated with visa aspirants, particularly students and IT professionals seeking opportunities in the United States.

Over the years, it has become informally known as the “Visa Temple” due to the large number of devotees who visit the temple before their visa interviews and return after successful approvals to offer prayers in gratitude.

The practice evolved organically, with the temple gradually becoming a symbolic stop for many Indian professionals navigating the US immigration process.   

Eric Schmitt – A Long-Standing Critic of H-1B Visa System 

Eric Schmitt has been a hardcore critic of the H-1B visa programme for several years. For several times he has described the system as “broken and abused”. 
He has also pointed to instances where laid-off US employees were reportedly required to train their foreign replacements before their positions were outsourced.

Schmitt has also criticised what he describes as misuse of H-1B visas for roles he considers non-specialist in nature, including positions such as cashiers, dog trainers, golf professionals and wellness coordinators.

He has further opposed the use of H-1B visas in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) roles within universities and corporations, arguing that such positions fall outside the programme’s intended scope of “speciality occupation”.

Also Read: H-1B Visa Drama Unfolds: Here Is Everything You Need to Know