H-1B visa holders stuck in India after US consulates abruptly cancel appointments— What you can do now

Indian H-1B visa holders who returned to India this month to renew their US work permits have been left stranded after American consulates abruptly cancelled their appointments and pushed them back by several months, The Washington Post reported, citing three immigration attorneys who handle H-1B cases.

Hundreds — and potentially thousands — of highly skilled workers had their appointments scrapped between Dec. 15 and 26, a window many H-1B holders choose because it aligns with the US holiday season, the lawyers said.

Emails reviewed by The Washington Post show that the State Department informed applicants their interviews were being postponed following the rollout of the Trump administration’s new social media screening policy, citing the need to ensure that no applicants pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety.

Emails reviewed by The Washington Post show the State Department informed applicants that their interviews were being postponed following the rollout of the Trump administration’s new social media screening policy, citing the need to ensure that no applicants pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety.

The abrupt cancellations have thrown lives into disarray, the lawyers said, with workers stuck on expired visas and worried about losing their jobs. Emily Neumann, a partner at the Houston-based immigration firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, said at least 100 of her clients are stranded in India.

Veena Vijay Ananth, an immigration lawyer in India, and Charles Kuck, an Atlanta-based immigration attorney, said they are each handling more than a dozen similar cases.

“This is the biggest mess we have seen,” said Ananth, who has worked on H-1B cases for over 20 years. “I’m not sure there is a plan.”

The Washington Post reported that a spokesperson for the State Department said that “while in the past the emphasis may have been on processing cases quickly and reducing wait times, our embassies and consulates around the world, including in India, are now prioritising thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else.”

What's at stake?

The mass cancellation of scheduled interviews of the H-1B visa applicants in view of the enhanced vetting measures is set to result in significant delays in their return to the US. The rescheduling of the interviews is for all applicants who were previously given appointments from December 15 onwards.

PTI reported that interviews of several other categories of visa applicants are also being postponed in view of the new norms for scrutinising the social media profiles of the applicants.

The exact number of applicants impacted by the delays in the visa interviews is not immediately known.

The U.S. embassy in India has urged visa applicants not to come to the consular offices based on their previously scheduled interview dates.

“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,” it said.

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

In September, Trump issued a Proclamation titled ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ as an important initial step to reform the H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme. Under the Proclamation, Trump announced a one-time fee of USD 100,000 on new H-1B visas, a move expected to impact Indian professionals seeking to work in the US.

Trump visa crackdown

The Trump administration has moved to further restrict the H-1B visa program as part of its broader immigration enforcement agenda, with heightened scrutiny of visa applicants’ social media posts and online profiles.

The H-1B program enables U.S. companies to employ foreign workers with specialised skills for an initial period of three years, which can be extended for an additional three years.

In recent years, Indians accounted for an estimated 71 per cent of approved H-1B applications, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

(With inputs from agencies)