'Several people stranded...': India raises alarm after US cancels H-1B interviews, triggering long delays
India stated that it had raised concerns with the US over the cancellation of a large number of visa appointments, with both sides now engaged in addressing delays
- Dec 29, 2025,
- Updated Dec 29, 2025 8:03 AM IST
Thousands of Indian professionals were left in limbo after the United States abruptly cancelled pre-scheduled H-1B visa interviews in India, prompting New Delhi to formally flag the issue with Washington amid growing disruption caused by enhanced vetting of applicants.
India stated that it had raised concerns with the US over the cancellation of a large number of visa appointments, with both sides now engaged in addressing delays triggered by stricter scrutiny of applicants’ social media posts and online profiles.
Interviews for thousands of H-1B applicants, scheduled to begin in mid-December, have been postponed by several months. Several applicants whose interviews were scheduled for last week received emails informing them that their appointments had been rescheduled, in some cases until May of next year.
“The government of India has received several representations from Indian nationals who are facing delays or problems with rescheduling of their visa appointments,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
“While we do understand that visa-related issues pertain to the sovereign domain of any country, we have flagged these issues and concerns of our nationals to the US side, both in New Delhi and in Washington DC. We hope that these delays and the disruptions will be addressed.”
Jaiswal said India remains actively engaged with the US to “address and minimise the disruptions caused to our nationals”.
The impact has extended beyond H-1B applicants to H-4 visa holders, who are primarily spouses of H-1B workers. “There are several people who have been stranded for extended periods of time because of scheduling and rescheduling of consular appointments,” Jaiswal said.
He added that the disruptions had caused “a lot of hardships” for applicants, their families and the education of their children.
Returns delayed
The mass cancellation of interviews has delayed the return of many Indian professionals to the US. Most affected applicants were already in India and are unable to travel back because they do not have a valid H-1B visa stamp. For instance, applicants with December 15 interview dates were rescheduled to March, while those with December 19 appointments were given new dates in late May.
It is learnt that interviews for several other visa categories have also been postponed under the new vetting norms. The exact number of applicants affected remains unclear.
The move comes as the Trump administration tightens oversight of the H-1B programme as part of a broader immigration policy push. Under the programme, US companies hire foreign workers with specialised skills for an initial three-year period, extendable by another three years. Indians accounted for an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In September, Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, heightening concerns about tougher conditions ahead.
US Vice President JD Vance recently said the administration was restricting H-1B visas as it believes it is wrong for companies to “bypass American labour just to go for cheaper options in the third world”.
Responding to a separate question, Jaiswal said India and the US continue to engage on a proposed bilateral trade deal, with both sides working towards a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.
(With inputs from PTI)
Thousands of Indian professionals were left in limbo after the United States abruptly cancelled pre-scheduled H-1B visa interviews in India, prompting New Delhi to formally flag the issue with Washington amid growing disruption caused by enhanced vetting of applicants.
India stated that it had raised concerns with the US over the cancellation of a large number of visa appointments, with both sides now engaged in addressing delays triggered by stricter scrutiny of applicants’ social media posts and online profiles.
Interviews for thousands of H-1B applicants, scheduled to begin in mid-December, have been postponed by several months. Several applicants whose interviews were scheduled for last week received emails informing them that their appointments had been rescheduled, in some cases until May of next year.
“The government of India has received several representations from Indian nationals who are facing delays or problems with rescheduling of their visa appointments,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
“While we do understand that visa-related issues pertain to the sovereign domain of any country, we have flagged these issues and concerns of our nationals to the US side, both in New Delhi and in Washington DC. We hope that these delays and the disruptions will be addressed.”
Jaiswal said India remains actively engaged with the US to “address and minimise the disruptions caused to our nationals”.
The impact has extended beyond H-1B applicants to H-4 visa holders, who are primarily spouses of H-1B workers. “There are several people who have been stranded for extended periods of time because of scheduling and rescheduling of consular appointments,” Jaiswal said.
He added that the disruptions had caused “a lot of hardships” for applicants, their families and the education of their children.
Returns delayed
The mass cancellation of interviews has delayed the return of many Indian professionals to the US. Most affected applicants were already in India and are unable to travel back because they do not have a valid H-1B visa stamp. For instance, applicants with December 15 interview dates were rescheduled to March, while those with December 19 appointments were given new dates in late May.
It is learnt that interviews for several other visa categories have also been postponed under the new vetting norms. The exact number of applicants affected remains unclear.
The move comes as the Trump administration tightens oversight of the H-1B programme as part of a broader immigration policy push. Under the programme, US companies hire foreign workers with specialised skills for an initial three-year period, extendable by another three years. Indians accounted for an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In September, Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, heightening concerns about tougher conditions ahead.
US Vice President JD Vance recently said the administration was restricting H-1B visas as it believes it is wrong for companies to “bypass American labour just to go for cheaper options in the third world”.
Responding to a separate question, Jaiswal said India and the US continue to engage on a proposed bilateral trade deal, with both sides working towards a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.
(With inputs from PTI)