Immigration attorney Rebecca Chen advised Indian H-1Bs to avoid traveling now in the wake of the major mass rescheduling of visa appointments in India. Hundreds of H-1B visa holders have already traveled to India to report to their appointment in December at the consular offices but now they have received last-minute emails that their appointment dates have been rescheduled to March, April, May 2026. Chen said those who have not yet received any such email should also put off traveling to India for the time being. And those applicants who are already in India and now can’t travel to the US without a visa stamping have nothing else to do apart from waiting.
Avoid travel, stamping is not necessary
According to immigration attorneys, if you need a visa stamp to re-enter the US and you are at present in the US, do not travel. Do not travel to India for the stamping even if your appointment date has not been rescheuled as the stamping is to enter the US, it does not determine your legal status in the USThose who have already gone to India for their appointments and now have their dates pushed to 2026 have no other way but to wait in India. They can check if earlier dates are available but that’s highly unlikely as the US embassy made it clear that applicants won’t be allowed to enter the consular offices if they come on any other date than the rescheduled one. Read | ‘End of my career’, ‘biometrics done, what to do now’: Panic spreads as US defers H-1B visa appointments in India
Why have visa appointments been rescheduled in India?
The emails that were sent out to candidates said the rescheduling was being done because of “operational constraints” as the visa officials will now have to go through social media presence of all the applicants. “As of December 15, the Department of State will conduct an online presence review for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review. Due to operational constraints related to processing these visas and to ensure that no applicants issued a visa pose a threat to US national security of public safety, the US Consulate in Hyderabad must reduce the number of applicants each day. The Consulate will not be able to see you on your original appointment date. Please do not show up at the Consulate. We look forward to assisting you on your new appointment date,” the email that US Consulate in Hyderabad sent out read.
