India Flags H-1B Visa Delays With US
Thousands of interviews postponed amid new social media scrutiny rules
- India raises concern over mass H-1B visa interview postponements
- US delaying cases to vet applicants’ social media profiles
- Some appointments pushed to as late as May 2026
- New $100,000 H-1B fee and tighter immigration checks spark worries
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 26th Dec: India on Friday said it has raised concerns with the United States over the abrupt postponement of thousands of H-1B visa interviews that were scheduled from December 15 onwards, with some appointments being pushed back by several months, even as late as May 2026.
At the weekly media briefing, a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said the government has received representations from Indian nationals affected by the rescheduling. “We have flagged these issues and our concerns to the US, both here and in Washington,” he said, adding that visa matters fall within the sovereign domain of the US but India remains engaged to minimise disruption to its nationals.
Applicants began receiving emails from December 10 night informing them that their appointments had been rescheduled. While the exact number of affected applicants is unclear, the delays are linked to fresh scrutiny of visa seekers’ social media profiles.
Under the new policy, applicants have been asked to keep their social media accounts in public mode so that American immigration officials can review posts to assess any potential national security or public safety risks. The US State Department said that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” defending the expanded screening process.
The move comes amid a broader tightening of US immigration policies under President Donald Trump’s second administration. In September, Trump imposed a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B work visas, a step that could significantly affect Indian professionals, who form the largest group of H-1B recipients.
While the move was challenged by major US business and academic bodies, including the US Chamber of Commerce and the Association of American Universities, a federal court upheld the order on Christmas Eve, stating that the President has broad authority to act in matters of economic and national security.
The US has also paused Green Card, citizenship and other immigration applications for nationals from 19 “countries of concern,” further adding to uncertainty around immigration processing.
