'Attention visa applicants...': US Embassy warns Indian visa applicants on 'rescheduled interviews'

Ignoring your rescheduled appointment message for a US visa can land you in significant trouble. In a fresh warning issued to Indian US visa applicants, the US Embassy in India has advised candidates to check their appointment dates for any rescheduling and arrive on that day. 

In a post on X, the embassy wrote, " ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS - 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. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate."

The warning comes amid a series of fresh changes for US visa applicants across several categories. 

H-1B, H-4 social media vetting rules change

US broadened its screening protocol for H-1B visa seekers and their H-4 family members/dependents, with a mandate that all their social media profiles should be public.

A fresh directive issued last week outlined that, starting December 15, officials will review the online footprints of all H-1B applicants and their accompanying family members.

Previously, students and exchange visitors faced this level of scrutiny; the policy has now been extended to include H-1B and H-4 visa seekers as well.

The State Department stated that, to aid the vetting process, applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), along with those seeking F, M, and J visas, should ensure their social media privacy settings are configured to public.

The department emphasised that a US visa is a privilege, not a guarantee, and that all accessible information is used to identify applicants who may be ineligible or pose risks to national security or public safety.

US visa wait times change

Indian applicants are seeing significantly reduced wait times for key visa categories. Cities like New Delhi and Chennai have recorded notable changes in the availability of next appointments, bringing relief to many hopefuls.

According to the latest updates from the US State Department, New Delhi has experienced a major reduction in wait times for F, M, and J visas, with processing times now down to just 0.5 months, a dramatic drop from the previous two-month wait. 

The improvement extends to Chennai, where B-1/B-2 interviews have now been marked as “N/A,” indicating substantial advancements in availability. In comparison, these categories used to see waits of up to five months in previous updates.