US embassy alerts H-1B, H-4 applicants as thousands of Indians remain stranded due to visa renewal delays

THE US Embassy in India stated that starting 15 December, the Department of State began reviewing the online presence of all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants as part of routine visa screening.

The embassy also noted that US consulates and embassies continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 non-immigrant visa applications, advising applicants to submit their applications as early as possible and to expect longer processing times for these visa categories. This comes amid thousands of Indians remaining stranded due to visa renewal delays.

This global vetting process applies to applicants of all nationalities and aims to prevent misuse of the H-1B programme while allowing companies to recruit highly skilled temporary foreign workers, it added.

Immigration lawyers said that visa appointments for Indian high-skilled workers were cancelled between 15 and 26 December, a timeframe that overlapped with the US holiday season.

Emails reviewed by The Washington Post showed that the State Department informed applicants their interviews had been postponed following the rollout of the Trump administration’s expanded social media screening policy, aimed “to ensure that no applicants... pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety”, reported ANI.

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.”
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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.