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.
WATCH | Researcher explains why people turn to online visa ‘scalpers’: Rustamdjan Hakimov, associate professor of economics at the University of …