US Embassy and Consulates in India to remain closed on THESE days this week

The United States Embassy and all US Consulates in India will remain closed for three consecutive days from Wednesday, December 24, to Friday, December 26, 2025, according to an official notice issued by US Mission India. The closure is in line with a Presidential Executive Order mandating the shutdown of executive departments and federal government agencies in the United States on these dates. As a result, routine consular services will not be available during this period.

“The US Embassy and Consulates in India will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, 2025, to Friday, December 26, 2025, in accordance with the Presidential Executive Order providing for the closure of executive departments and agencies of the federal government on these dates. Routine consular services will not be available during these dates”, the embassy said in a post on X.

This means services such as visa interviews, passport processing, document verification, and other non-emergency consular operations will remain suspended at all US diplomatic missions across India, including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

The announcement comes at a time when visa processing timelines are already under pressure due to enhanced vetting procedures and increased scrutiny for non-immigrant visas, including H-1B, H-4, F-1, and J-1 categories. Applicants with scheduled appointments during the closure period are expected to receive instructions regarding rescheduling through official channels.

US authorities have advised applicants to plan travel and visa-related activities accordingly, especially those facing urgent timelines for employment, education, or travel. Emergency services for US citizens may remain available on a limited basis, but routine services will resume only after operations reopen.

What did US embassy in India say earlier?

The US embassy in India earlier requested visa applicants not to visit the consular offices based on their previously scheduled interview date.

It stated, “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”, adding, “Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.”

Many visa applicants shared anonymous posts on social media describing their ordeal. As per ANI, one applicant stated, “My H-1B consular appointment in Chennai, originally on December 18, got cancelled right after I completed the biometrics process on Tuesday, and was auto-rescheduled to April 30, 2026.”

Meanwhile, an April 2025 report by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showed that Indians make up 71% of visa holders. In July, the State Department said that starting 2 September, H-1B visa holders and their H-4 dependents would no longer be allowed to renew their visas in a third country. Later, on 19 September, Trump signed a proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, according to a Washington Post report.