A new U.S. government rule requiring social-media screening for all H-1B visa applicants and their dependents (H-4 visas) has led to widespread disruption of visa appointments globally. Consular posts around the world—including several in India—have begun cancelling or postponing interviews originally scheduled for mid- to late-December 2025.
According to multiple reports from immigration attorneys and applicants, many of the cancelled interviews are being pushed as far out as March 2026. The policy, which takes effect on December 15, 2025, mandates that the online presence of H-1B and H-4 candidates—including publicly accessible social-media accounts—be included as part of the vetting process.
Applicants are now being asked to keep their social-media privacy settings “public” so consular officers can review their posts, interactions, and connections. As a result, consulates have significantly reduced the number of daily visa interviews to allot additional time for these expanded checks. This reduction has caused widespread postponements, even though biometric appointments remain largely unaffected. In most cases, only the follow-up visa interviews are being rescheduled—often by several months.
Those affected include professionals relocating for new jobs, workers visiting India between projects, families planning to reunite with relatives in the U.S., and travelers on short-term visits. With consulates adjusting to the new workflow, applicants are being advised to closely monitor their official emails for revised appointment dates. Arriving on the originally scheduled date is likely to result in denial of entry at the consulate.
The new screening requirements have sparked considerable concern among workers, families, and employers who rely on timely visa processing, further adding uncertainty to an already complex immigration process.
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