TRENDING TAGS :
H-1B Visa Appointments Cancelled, Travel to the US in Jeopardy, Jobs at Risk
H-1B visa appointments have been cancelled or delayed as the US begins strict social media screening. Indian professionals face travel uncertainty, job risks, and tighter immigration rules.
H-1B Visa (PC- Social Media)
New Delhi: The H-1B visa, which allows professionals to work in the United States, is becoming increasingly difficult to access. The latest situation is that visa renewal and interview appointments have been pushed back by several months. The US Embassy in India has confirmed that visa appointments scheduled for December and the coming weeks have been shifted.
As a result, many H-1B visa holders who travelled to India for visa stamping may now be unable to return to the US without a valid visa, putting their jobs at serious risk.
The Bitter Reality
A major new development is that from December 15, the administration of President Donald Trump has begun intensive screening of social media activity of all H-1B applicants and their spouses. While this rule applies to applicants from all countries, India has been the most affected, as US consulates here process hundreds of applications every day.
With deep scrutiny of every applicant’s online activity, visa processing is expected to slow significantly, inevitably reducing the number of visas processed daily. Visa officers have been instructed not to proceed with any case until all social media profiles of the applicant have been thoroughly reviewed.
Intensive Screening Begins
The US government has instructed embassies that:
“From December 15, the Department of State will review the online presence of all H-1B applicants and their dependents. This review already applies to students and exchange visitors. Due to operational challenges in processing these visas, US consulates will have to reduce the number of applicants handled each day.”
The US Embassy has also warned that applicants arriving on their original appointment dates will not be allowed entry into the embassy or consulate.
What Is Online Presence Review?
The US State Department’s new Online Presence Review policy has now come into effect. Under this rule, consular officers must examine an applicant’s social media and online activity as part of security screening.
As a result, visa appointments have been suddenly rescheduled. Interviews scheduled for December and January have been pushed back by weeks or even months, with some moved as far as April 2026.
According to reports, H-1B and H-4 visa appointments scheduled from mid-December to the end of the month at the Hyderabad and Chennai consulates have been cancelled, with some rescheduled for March 2026.
What Should Applicants Do?
Applicants are advised to:
• Closely monitor their consulate accounts for cancellations or automatic rescheduling
• Regularly check for earlier appointment slots
• Build extra buffer time if planning international travel
• Ensure that all online and social media profiles are accurate, complete, and easily accessible
• Immediately consult an immigration attorney if an appointment is cancelled, to discuss next steps
New Directive: Visa Is a Privilege, Not a Right
On December 4, the US State Department issued a directive stating that from December 15, it will review the online activity of all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, requiring them to keep all social media profiles set to “public.”
This policy expands a review process that already applies to students and exchange visitors.
To facilitate screening, all applicants for H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J category non-immigrant visas have been instructed to adjust privacy settings on all social media profiles to public.
The State Department emphasized that a US visa is a privilege, not a right, stating:
“Every visa decision is a national security decision.”
It further stressed that the US must ensure that no applicant intends to harm Americans and that all applicants credibly demonstrate eligibility and intent to comply with visa conditions.
This directive is the latest in a series of steps taken by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules.
Crackdown on Misuse of the H-1B Program
The administration has launched major actions to prevent misuse of the H-1B visa program, which is widely used by US technology companies to hire foreign workers.
Indian professionals, including tech workers and doctors, form one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders.
In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation titled “Suspension of Entry of Certain Non-Immigrant Workers,” imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B work visas—a move that could significantly impact Indian workers seeking temporary employment in the US.
Work Permit Rules Tightened
Meanwhile, the US administration has rolled back a major immigration benefit. The validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)—commonly known as work permits—has been reduced from five years to just 18 months.
This rule applies to all applications filed on or after December 5.
The reduced validity primarily affects vulnerable immigration categories, including:
• Refugees
• Asylum seekers
• Applicants seeking adjustment of status under the green card process
This last category is especially significant for Indian professionals, many of whom wait years for permanent residency due to country-specific visa backlogs.
Other affected groups include individuals whose removal has been cancelled or deportation stayed. For them, frequent renewals will now be mandatory, increasing legal costs, paperwork burden, and uncertainty.
