Thousands of Indian professionals hoping to work in the United States remain stuck in uncertainty as H-1B visa interviews face long delays and repeated rescheduling. With families affected and careers on hold, India has formally taken up the issue with US authorities, seeking relief for applicants caught in the growing appointment backlog.
Why Are H-1B Visa Appointments Delayed?
The Indian government has acknowledged that many nationals are struggling to secure or reschedule H-1B visa appointments. Interview slots have become scarce, while previously confirmed dates are getting postponed by months.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said these delays have left several people stranded abroad for long periods. Many applicants are unable to join jobs, renew work status, or reunite with their families due to uncertainty around interview timelines.
What India Told the US?
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that India has raised the issue directly with US authorities. “There are several people who have been stranded for extended periods of time because of scheduling or rescheduling of consular appointments, and these have also caused a lot of hardships to their families,” he said.
He added that while visa decisions fall under the sovereign authority of each country, India has formally flagged the concerns in both India and Washington DC.
“While we do understand that visa-related issues pertain to the sovereign domain of any country, we have flagged these issues and concerns of our nationals to the US side, both in New Delhi and in Washington DC. We hope that these delays and the disruptions will be addressed,” Jaiswal said.
New Screening Rules Add to the Backlog
A key reason behind the slowdown is a new online screening requirement introduced by the US administration. Under the rule, H-1B visa applicants and their dependents must keep their social media profiles public for verification.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public,” a US release stated.
The rule took effect on December 15. After this, many applicants received emails informing them that interviews scheduled for December were being pushed as far as May next year.
How are Indians Affected the Most?
Indians form the largest group of H-1B visa holders, making them the most impacted by any policy change. Even small procedural shifts create ripple effects across India’s tech workforce, students, and professionals already working in the US. Jaiswal clarified that the new screening rule applies globally and is not India-specific.
“This particular change that they have introduced applies globally to all countries. India remains actively engaged with the US side to address and minimise the disruptions caused to our nationals,” he said.
Broader Changes to the H-1B System
The appointment delays come amid wider reforms to the H-1B programme. The US has tightened hiring rules, introduced higher costs for applicants, and shifted away from random selection.
The Trump administration has argued that these changes aim to prioritise higher-skilled workers. Critics say they have increased uncertainty and reduced access for genuine applicants.
What Happens Next?
India has assured continued diplomatic engagement to resolve the issue. Applicants now wait to see whether the US speeds up appointment processing or eases the transition under the new rules.
For now, thousands of Indian professionals remain in limbo, hoping for clarity before job offers, visas and family plans fall further out of sync.
