Indian professionals on H-1B visas are facing unexpected uncertainty after returning home this month to renew their US work permits, only to find themselves stranded as American consulates abruptly cancelled their visa interviews.
According to The Washington Post, the sudden move has disrupted the lives of hundreds, and possibly thousands, of highly skilled workers, many of whom travelled to India during the US holiday season specifically to complete their visa renewals.
Visa Appointments Cancelled Without Warning
Immigration attorneys told The Washington Post that interview appointments scheduled between December 15 and 26 were cancelled en masse, with new dates pushed back by several months. This mid-December window is a popular choice for H-1B holders, as it allows them to align travel with year-end holidays and minimise disruption to work.
For many, that plan has now unravelled.
Emails reviewed by the newspaper show that applicants were informed by the US State Department that their interviews had been postponed following the rollout of a new social media screening policy under the Trump administration. The policy, the emails said, is aimed at ensuring that visa applicants do not pose a threat to US national security or public safety.
