India has raised formal concerns with the United States over delays and disruptions in rescheduling H-1B visa appointments affecting numerous Indian nationals.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, highlighted these issues during a weekly press conference on 26 December 2025, noting the hardships faced by applicants and their families.

Many Indian nationals have experienced prolonged uncertainty due to cancellations of pre-scheduled consular interviews, particularly those overlapping with the US holiday shutdown from 24 to 26 December.

These disruptions have impacted employment opportunities, family life, and children's education, prompting multiple representations to the Indian government.

The delays stem from recent policy changes implemented by the Trump administration, which expanded social media and online presence reviews for all H-1B specialty occupation workers and their H-4 dependents, effective 15 December 2025. This global measure aligns H-1B and H-4 categories with existing vetting for F, M, and J visas, requiring applicants to set social media accounts to public settings.

US consular officers now scrutinise applicants' digital footprints for signs of hostility towards US institutions, support for terrorist groups, potential espionage, political activism, or involvement in censorship. The State Department views every visa decision as a national security matter, emphasising that a US visa remains a privilege rather than a right.

Applicants in India received emails notifying them of rescheduled appointments, with some interviews postponed by months to accommodate the new screening processes. US embassies and consulates in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru closed briefly over the holidays under a presidential executive order, exacerbating backlogs.

The Indian government has engaged US authorities in both New Delhi and Washington DC to minimise these disruptions, acknowledging visa matters as sovereign decisions while urging swift resolutions. Jaiswal expressed hope that the US would address the flagged concerns promptly to alleviate ongoing hardships.

Immigration experts anticipate further delays as consulates adjust capacity for intensive online reviews, potentially aided by artificial intelligence. Applicants face risks of administrative processing or denials if profiles appear unavailable or problematic, with abrupt account deletions likely to trigger scrutiny.

This policy shift reflects the Trump administration's broader push for stringent vetting to prevent visa misuse, amid rising focus on national security in high-skilled worker admissions. Indian professionals, who form a significant portion of H-1B recipients, now navigate added complexity in their US employment aspirations.

Compliance advice for applicants includes proactively reviewing and adjusting public social media content to avoid misinterpretation, while consulting immigration counsel for sensitive profiles. Employers and workers must plan for extended timelines, potentially postponing travel until visas are secured.

Based On ANI Report