India: new vetting delays US H-1B interviews to summer 2026

Thousands of applicants for the coveted non-immigrant visa are receiving emails from US consulates in India notifying them that their in-person interviews have been rescheduled to March, April, or even May, as the State Department extends its controversial online presence screening to H-1B and H-4 (dependent) visas.

“As of December 15, the Department will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review,” the US State Department said on December 3.

“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public.”

Moreover, reports suggest that some H-1B and H-4 visa holders have received emails from US consulates stating that their visas have been “prudentially revoked” — a temporary, precautionary cancellation by the State Department when eligibility concerns are suspected.

While this does not affect a visa holder’s legal stay in the US, it typically triggers closer scrutiny at the next appointment, and those who leave the country may be unable to re-enter even if the visa has not expired, as the stamp is considered invalid.

Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate
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The postponed interview appointments due to the vetting process, first introduced in June 2025 for study and exchange-visitor visas to flag “signs of hostility” toward the US, have raised concerns among applicants in India, who fear losing their jobs in the US because of the delays.

Separately, the State Department had suggested in September that international workers on temporary visas must complete their interviews at consular offices in their home countries, meaning applicants cannot seek appointments outside India.

“My H-1B biometric appointment was completed on December 2, and the interview was originally scheduled for December 15, 2025. But it got automatically rescheduled. Many of us are worried about losing our jobs in the US because of the delay and urgently need guidance on how to secure an interview within December,” an H-1B visa applicant told The PIE News.

Though the State Department has yet to respond to The PIE’s request for comment on the number of H-1B interviews rescheduled in India or the extent of the delays, the US Embassy in India acknowledged the postponements on X, saying it would “assist applicants on their new appointment date”.

“If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date,” the Embassy said in a statement.

“Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.”

Indian professionals, who accounted for 71% of approved H-1B visas in 2024, are now in India to apply for or renew their visas, with the expected delays creating “real challenges”, according to US immigration attorney Emily Neumann.

“Visa stamping feels like a maze of pitfalls right now. Now, appointments are getting canceled without warning and pushed out by months,” stated Neumann on X.

“There is no predictability in this process, and it is creating real challenges for businesses and employees who need to travel.”

According to a report by Bloomberg, internal emails show that applicants’ biometric appointments will remain unchanged.

In recent months, H-1B visas have come under major scrutiny in the US, with a new $100,000 fee sending shockwaves as lawyers and employers highlighted its potential repercussions.

Moreover, 19 other US states, all Democratic, have joined California in suing the Trump administration over the policy change, arguing that the increase exceeds what Congress authorised and undermines the program’s original intent.

According to California attorney general Rob Bonta, who announced the move, the fee hike will worsen shortages of physicians, researchers, teachers, nurses and public service workers, impacting key sectors across states.

While US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) later clarified that the fee would not apply to a “change of status”, including F-1 students switching to H-1B visas, an overhaul of the program — particularly its annual lottery — is reportedly on the cards.

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