Hundreds of Indian professionals have found themselves unexpectedly stranded after U.S. consulates in India canceled and rescheduled H-1B visa interview appointments. This situation arose due to newly implemented vetting procedures that expanded social media reviews, causing significant delays in processing. Appointments that were scheduled for early 2024 have been pushed back by several months, with some rescheduled as late as 2027, creating turmoil for workers and their families.
The cancellations began in mid-December 2023, when the U.S. State Department introduced a policy requiring more extensive social media vetting of applicants. Immigration attorney Rajiv Khanna noted that the new policy has drastically reduced the number of interviews conducted daily, resulting in a backlog of scheduled appointments. “H-1B India January visa appointments are being pushed to September,” Khanna stated. He expressed concern over the impact of such systemic changes, questioning the necessity of the new vetting procedures that have disrupted so many lives.
As a result of the delays, affected H-1B workers face a range of challenges, including separation from families in the U.S., potential loss of wages, and uncertainty regarding their job security. Experts recommend that workers communicate with their employers about options for remote work or extended leave to mitigate the risk of losing their positions, which are often tied to visa status.
The delays are further exacerbated by broader immigration policy changes initiated under the Trump administration, which include increased vetting requirements and high fees for new H-1B applications. Critics argue that these heightened measures contribute to significant hardship for skilled workers and the companies that rely on their expertise.
Tech industry leaders are increasingly concerned about the impact of these delays. Both Google and Apple have advised some visa-holding employees against international travel, citing that processing times for return visas could stretch up to a year. This situation highlights the sharp backlog faced by U.S. embassies worldwide.
With tens of thousands of U.S. jobs in sectors such as technology and engineering reliant on H-1B talent, the ongoing visa processing delays are being closely monitored by employers and workers alike. As the situation unfolds, many are left wondering how long these disruptions will continue and what long-term implications they might have on the skilled workforce in the United States.
