Why So Many H-1B Holders Are Stuck In India, And What Options Do They Have Now

Why So Many H-1B Holders Are Stuck In India, And What Options Do They Have Now US consulates cancelled hundreds of December appointments amid new digital checks, forcing H-1B holders in India to navigate long delays. Hundreds of Indian H-1B visa holders who travelled home for routine visa stamping in December have been left stranded after their consular appointments were abruptly cancelled and pushed deep into 2026 and, in some cases, even 2027. The disruption coincides with the introduction of expanded social-media screening and a sharp drop in the number of interviews US missions can conduct each day. What was expected to be a short holiday-season visit has turned into an open-ended wait for many, with families separated and jobs placed at risk. Recommended Stories December has always been one of the busiest months for H-1B renewals because of reduced work obligations in the United States and office shutdowns around Christmas and New Year. Thousands of Indian professionals timed their travel accordingly. Instead, their appointments were cancelled with little warning, leaving them unsure of when they would be able to return. What Caused The Sudden Cancellation Of Appointments? From the second week of December, applicants with interview dates between 15 and 26 December began receiving rescheduling notices. The shift took place just days before the new requirement for “online presence reviews" was implemented on 15 December, with US consulates in India cancelling appointments and issuing new dates months-or years-later. On 9 December, the US Embassy in India publicly advised applicants not to appear for their previously scheduled appointments if they had received a rescheduling email, warning that they would be denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate on their old date. This applied even to those who had already made travel arrangements to another city for their interview. Applicants were informed that the number of interviews per day had been reduced because of “operational constraints". This reduction was linked to the new vetting procedures, which require more time per applicant, resulting in fewer interviews being conducted daily. In many cases, appointments that had been secured months in advance were rescheduled to dates between March and June 2026. One applicant received a new appointment in 2027. The State Department has said that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision", and consulates are now prioritising thorough screening over speed. Why Did India Feel The Impact More Sharply? India accounts for 71 per cent of all H-1B visa holders, making it the most heavily affected nationality when processing slows. December is also the month when a large proportion of Indian workers return for stamping, intensifying the impact of the delays. The disruption appeared India-specific because US consulates operate independently, with their own staffing, workload and system requirements. Operational issues, such as capacity limits, IT updates or staffing shortages, are post-specific and not global. Similar mass rescheduling has occurred in Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, Brazil and parts of Europe, but India’s extremely high visa volume makes the fallout more visible. Those affected in India...

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