Hundreds of H-1B visa holders who travelled to India earlier this month to renew their US work permits have been left stranded after their consular appointments were abruptly postponed to next year. The delays come amid the US State Department’s newly introduced social media vetting policy.
Most of the affected workers had visa interview slots scheduled between December 15 and 26, a period that also coincides with the US holiday season. However, interviews slated for mid to late December have reportedly been pushed to March next year.
Several leading immigration law firms have confirmed that hundreds of their clients are currently stuck in India.
“This is the biggest mess we have seen. I’m not sure there is a plan,” immigration attorney Veena Vijay Ananth told The Washington Post.
One H-1B professional living in the Detroit suburbs had reportedly travelled to India this month to attend a wedding and had visa appointments scheduled for December 17 and 23. Both appointments have now expired, leaving his return to the US uncertain.
Experts say the growing concern is how long employers will be willing to wait for affected employees to return.
In emails sent to applicants, the US State Department said the interview delays were due to the rollout of enhanced social media screening aimed at ensuring that visa applicants do not pose a threat to US national security or public safety.
Earlier, on December 9, the US Embassy in India issued an advisory warning applicants not to arrive at consulates on previously scheduled dates if their appointments had been rescheduled.
“Arriving on your originally scheduled appointment date will result in denial of entry to the Embassy or Consulate,” the advisory stated.
According to an April report by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Indian nationals account for nearly 71 per cent of all H-1B visa holders.
Google, Apple issue warnings
Amid the growing uncertainty, US tech giants Google and Apple have reportedly warned some employees against travelling abroad.
According to Business Insider, internal memos highlighted “significant” visa re-entry delays at US embassies and consulates, with wait times stretching up to 12 months in some cases.
Google’s external counsel, BAL Immigration Law, advised affected employees to avoid international travel, cautioning that they could risk an extended stay outside the US due to appointment backlogs.
US tightens social media vetting
The Donald Trump administration has begun enhanced screening of H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, including detailed checks of social media profiles.
The move follows recent instructions from the State Department asking visa applicants to set their social media accounts to public.
While such scrutiny was earlier limited to students and exchange visitors, it has now been extended to skilled workers.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said.
The social media checks are the latest in a series of tightened measures targeting the H-1B program, the primary work visa route for skilled foreign professionals.
In September, President Donald Trump imposed a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, a decision expected to significantly impact Indian workers.
More recently, the US also paused Green Card, citizenship, and other immigration applications from 19 “countries of concern” following the shooting of National Guard soldiers by an Afghan national.
