Hundreds of Indian professionals returning home to renew their H-1B visas have encountered significant delays and cancellations at U.S. consulates. Starting in mid-December 2023, the U.S. State Department implemented new vetting procedures, which focus on social media presence and online activity. This change has resulted in the abrupt cancellation of many interview appointments, pushing some rescheduled dates as far as 2027.
Immigration attorney Rajiv Khanna voiced concern over the situation, stating, “H-1B India January visa appointments are being pushed to September. There isn’t much that can be done because this administration has created a systemic problem that appears deliberate.” He further questioned the necessity of the social media vetting changes, emphasizing the disruption caused to individual lives and careers.
The State Department attributes these delays to the new policy requiring extensive social media reviews, which has led to a decrease in daily interview capacity and forced consulates to defer scheduled appointments. Khanna pointed out that previous policies under the Trump administration mandated that visa applications be submitted only from an applicant’s country of nationality or residence. This, combined with the current delays, creates barriers for both employers and employees who are already navigating the visa stamping process.
For affected H-1B workers, the consequences are severe. Many face separation from families in the U.S., potential loss of wages, and uncertainty regarding job security. Immigration experts recommend that workers discuss remote work arrangements or extended leave with their employers to mitigate the risk of losing their positions tied to their visas.
Tech industry leaders have taken notice of the situation. Companies such as Google and Apple have reportedly cautioned some visa-holding employees against international travel, warning that processing times for returns could extend up to one year. This highlights the substantial backlog at U.S. embassies worldwide, which has raised alarms among employers and workers alike.
With tens of thousands of jobs in sectors like technology and engineering relying on H-1B talent, the ongoing delays are causing widespread concern. Affected individuals and their employers are closely monitoring the situation as they navigate an increasingly complex immigration landscape.
The current visa processing challenges reflect broader immigration policy changes initiated by the Trump administration, including stricter vetting requirements and increased fees for new H-1B applications. Critics argue that these measures have created undue hardship for skilled workers and the companies that depend on them.
As the landscape evolves, stakeholders in the tech sector and beyond are left to grapple with the implications of these delays, which not only disrupt individual lives but also threaten the stability of industries heavily reliant on skilled foreign labor.
