Indian professionals applying for H-1B visa stamping in India are facing long delays, with US consulates now pushing interview appointments into 2027. What began as a short-term rescheduling has turned into a multi-year backlog.
Applicants who had interview dates between January and March 2026 started receiving emails around January 22 informing them that both biometric and consular appointments had been postponed, by more than 14 months in some cases.
The delays began in December 2025, when interviews scheduled for that month were moved to March 2026 and described as temporary. These were later shifted to October 2026 and, most recently, to 2027. Several applicants with early-2026 interview dates say their appointments have now been deferred to April or May 2027.
Attorneys Gnanamookan Senthurjothi and Veena Vijay Ananth, founders of The Visa Code, told Financialexpress.com how applicants can manage the ongoing visa interview delays.
How exactly are the new online presence and social media vetting rules leading to mass interview rescheduling without notice?
At this juncture, there is no clarity how this is leading to mass cancellation and there is no specific pattern that could be inferred from the number of applicants with rescheduled appointments. Few applicants were allowed to proceed with their existing visa appointments in December 2025 and January 2026, we expect the same for applicants in February 2026 (including some of our clients).
Incomplete social media listings or profiles set to private can result in administrative processing delays extending up to several weeks. At present, there is no transparent explanation from the authorities on why certain applicants are allowed to proceed while others face sudden rescheduling,” says Gnanamookan Senthurjothi, Founder of The Visa Code.
What are some of the measures H-1B and H-4 visa holders should take when such instances arise?
They must keep their social media profile setting to public and ensure they list all their social media accounts are listed in the form DS-160. It is also highly recommended to schedule the appointment based on DS-160 that’s complete and not partially filled out one. Applicants should not wait until the biometrics appointments at the visa application center (VAC) to complete the DS-160.
Even minor technical inconsistencies in the DS-160 can now lead to significant delays or rescheduling,” notes Veena Vijay Ananth, Co-Founder of The Visa Code.
For applicants who already travelled and are now stuck abroad due to rescheduled interviews, what immediate options are there to return to the US sooner?
Applicants with urgent business travel or humanitarian grounds may request an expedited appointment with the consular post. They are eligible to make two expedited requests, but we recommend using the first request strategically. If approved, consular interview dates were earlier available in March 2026, and April 2026 dates are now opening, which is significantly better than appointments rescheduled to May 2026 or even June 2027.
If applicants have more than one qualifying reason, they should prioritize the strongest ground based on their visa category. Applicants should not rely solely on information circulating on social media.
For applicants who have already used both expedited appointment requests, do not request cancellation of the existing rescheduled appointment, even if it is for a later date in 2026 or 2027. Regular visa appointments are currently not being made available, and there is no clarity on when they will reopen.
Are emergency appointments, humanitarian requests, or congressional assistance working in practice for H-1B and H-4 applicants affected by these changes?
Congressional assistance is not proving effective in these matters. However, expedited appointment requests are being approved on a case-by-case basis. We have had some success in cases involving urgent business travel, as well as a few cases approved under humanitarian grounds.
Given this pattern since December 2025, what travel and visa-planning advice should H-1B professionals follow to avoid being stranded in the future?
At this juncture, we do not recommend international travel. Applicants who travel and become stranded in India due to visa delays may face job loss due to layoffs or prolonged absence. In such cases, a new employer may be required to pay a USD 100,000 surcharge to file a new petition. Applicants may risk losing everything they have built over time in the U.S. their careers, their children’s schooling, and their homes. “The risks today extend far beyond visa delays. A single rescheduled appointment can destabilize years of professional and personal progress,” adds Attorney Ananth.