There are widespread reports of H-1B and H-4 visa interview cancellations at U.S. consulates in India. Cancelled interviews are being rescheduled for dates after May 2026, with reports of appointments scheduled as far out October 2026. As a result of the cancellations, many H-1B workers who are employed by U.S. companies are unable to return to the United States until visas are issued.
The U.S. Embassy in India hinted at the mass cancellations through a December 9, 2025 posting on X (formerly Twitter):
ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS – 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. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.
On December 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced an expansion of the social media vetting policy introduced in June 2025 applicable to F, M, and J nonimmigrants to H-1B and H-4 visa applicants.
On December 22, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in India posted an explicit statement on X confirming expanded social media vetting:
WORLDWIDE ALERT FOR H-1B AND H-4 VISA APPLICANTS Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews to ALL H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening. This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities for H1-B and H-4 visas. It is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B program while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers.
U.S. embassies and consulates continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrant visa applications. We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications.
The Embassy contemporaneously reposted two posts from Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott featuring a Fox News interview highlighting the revocation of 95,000 visas by the Department of State in 2025 including 8,000 student visas.
The Times of India reports the new social media guidelines justify interviewing fewer visa applicants each day. In a separate piece, The Times of India reported, “Hundreds, possibly thousands, of high-skilled workers had appointments cancelled between December 15 and 26, a period many H-1B holders target since it coincides with the U.S. holiday season.”
Guidance to Potential Visa Applicants
Travel Considerations for Indian Nationals Requiring Nonimmigrant Visa Stamping
Indian nationals who currently hold valid nonimmigrant status in the United States (including H-1B, H-4, L-1, L-2, O-1, and similar classifications) should consider avoiding international travel. The risk of prolonged periods outside the United States or an inability to return is high. Confirmed visa appointments may be cancelled without notice and rescheduled months later.
Third-Country Visa Processing Not Advised
Applicants should not attempt to obtain nonimmigrant visa stamping in an alternative or “third country.” The U.S. Department of State ended the policy permitting routine third-country national (TCN) nonimmigrant visa processing effective December 12, 2025. Under current policy, nonimmigrant visa applicants are required to apply for visa stamping in their country of nationality or residence, subject to very limited discretionary exceptions.
Social Media Guidance
Applicants for H-1B nonimmigrant visas (and H-4 dependents), as well as applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas, are subject to online presence and social media review.
Applicants are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all social media accounts to “public” to facilitate vetting necessary to establish identity, eligibility, and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law.
Consular officers may review social media platforms disclosed on the visa application (Form DS-160), publicly accessible online content, and usernames and identifiers used by the applicant within the past five years.
This review is conducted to verify identity and consistency of information, assess admissibility under U.S. immigration law, and identify potential security, fraud, or misrepresentation concerns.
Social media content should be consistent with information provided in Form DS-160, petition filings, and employment or academic history. Inconsistencies may result in additional questioning or administrative processing.
Applicants must truthfully list all social media usernames/handles used within the required disclosure period. Failure to disclose or omission of accounts may be treated as misrepresentation. Unexplained deletions or gaps may raise concerns.
Expedite Requests for Long-Delayed Visa Appointments
If a visa applicant is subject to significant delay, the applicant may consider submitting a request for expedited appointment through the U.S. Department of State’s visa appointment system.
Expedite requests are granted sparingly and only where the applicant demonstrates circumstances that meet one of the following criteria:
- Medical Emergency
- Urgent medical treatment in the United States
- Serious illness or medical emergency involving the applicant or an immediate family member
- Humanitarian Grounds
- Death, serious illness, or critical care of an immediate family member
- Other compelling humanitarian situations requiring immediate travel
- National Interest or U.S. Government Interest
- Travel related to U.S. government interests
- Law enforcement, national security, or significant public interest matters
- Time-Sensitive Educational or Professional Obligations
- Students or exchange visitors whose program start date is imminent
- Employment situations involving documented, extraordinary harm to a U.S. employer (routine employment needs are generally insufficient)
Expedite requests must be documented, specific, and credible. Financial inconvenience, routine employment obligations, or personal preference are not sufficient. Approval rates are low, particularly during periods of systemic backlog. Applicants should not assume that an expedite request will be granted.
International travel for nonimmigrant status holders poses increased risk, especially for Indian nationals. Applicants should proceed cautiously, postpone non-essential travel where possible, and obtain individualized legal guidance before making travel decisions.
Sources:
H-1B Visa Appointment Crisis Worsens With Mass Cancellations Pushing Dates to Late 2026, AM. BAZAAR (Dec. 17, 2025), https://americanbazaaronline.com/2025/12/17/h-1b-visa-appointment-crisis-worsens-with-mass-cancellations-pushing-dates-to-late-2026-471733/.
Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for H-1B and Dependent H-4 Visa Applicants, U.S. DEP’T OF STATE (Dec. 3, 2025), https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/announcement-of-expanded-screening-and-vetting-for-h-1b-and-dependent-h-4-visa-applicants.html.
Visa Appointment Rescheduling Notice, U.S. EMBASSY INDIA (@USANDINDIA) (Dec. 9, 2025), X, https://x.com/USAndIndia/status/1998399737075032568.
Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants, U.S. DEP’T OF STATE, OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON (June 2025), https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/06/announcement-of-expanded-screening-and-vetting-for-visa-applicants.
U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia), “WORLDWIDE ALERT FOR H-1B AND H-4 VISA APPLICANTS: Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews…” (Dec. 22, 2025, 5:53 AM), X, https://x.com/USAndIndia/status/2003056292357927062.
Statement on Visa Revocations and Enforcement, TOMMY PIGOTT (@STATEDEPUTYSPOX) (Dec. 2025), X, http://x.com/StateDeputySpox/status/2003128112360653256.
Tommy Pigott (@StateDeputySpox), “Under President Trump, we’re ending the era of mass migration.” (Dec. 2025), X, https://x.com/StateDeputySpox/status/2003136782037303362.
Flagged, Engaged: India on Cancellation of Pre-Scheduled H-1B Visa Interviews—Here’s What MEA Said, TIMES OF INDIA (Dec. 2025), https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/flagged-engaged-india-on-cancellation-of-pre-scheduled-h-1b-visa-interviews-heres-what-mea-said/articleshow/126190433.cms.
U.S. Social Media Vetting Is Triggering Widespread Visa Appointment Cancellations—Here’s How, TIMES OF INDIA (Dec. 2025), https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/us-social-media-vetting-is-triggering-widespread-visa-appointment-cancellations-heres-how/articleshow/125886165.cms.
Adjudicating Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants in Their Country of Residence, U.S. DEP’T OF STATE (Dec. 12, 2025),https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/adjudicating-niv-applicants-in-their-country-of-residence.html.
Visas, U.S. EMBASSY & CONSULATES IN INDIA, https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/.
Social Media Vetting and Prioritization, U.S. DEP’T OF STATE CABLE (June 18, 2025), reprinted by Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration, https://www.presidentsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DOS-Cable-6.18.25-Social-Media-Vetting-and-Prioritization_Copy.pdf.
