Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Starting December 15, the United States will expand “online presence review” of all “specialty occupation temporary worker (H-1B) visa applicants and their dependents in the H-4 visa classification”, a spokesperson of the U.S. Embassy said on December 10, 2025, according to The Hindu newspaper.
“In every visa case, we will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought, including that the applicant intends to engage in activities consistent with the terms of admission,” said the spokesperson explaining the reasons behind the scrutiny of the applicants’ online presence.
“The Department of State regularly shifts appointments as needed to match resource availability. We will communicate any changes directly to affected visa applicants,” the spokesperson further said. The latest announcement on vetting social media activities has added another layer to the grant of H1-B visa seekers, which is expected to prolong the waiting time for fresh applicants. Some applicants, whose visa appointments were scheduled next week, have received emails from U.S. immigration authorities informing that their interviews are being pushed back as late as May next year.
The mass cancellation of scheduled interviews of the H-1B visa applicants is set to result in significant delays in their return to the U.S.
It is learnt that interviews of several other categories of visa applicants are also being postponed in view of the new norms.
The US Embassy urged visa applicants not to come to the consular offices based on their previously scheduled interview date. Many visa applicants put out anonymous posts on social media sharing their ordeal.
“My H-1B consular appointment in Chennai, originally on December 18, got cancelled right after I completed the biometrics process on December 9, and was auto-rescheduled to April 30, 2026,” said one applicant.
