Thousands of Indian professionals have been left in uncertainty after the United States abruptly cancelled pre-scheduled H-1B visa interviews across India, prompting New Delhi to formally raise the issue with Washington. The disruption is linked to enhanced vetting procedures, including deeper scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity and online presence.
The interviews, originally scheduled to begin in mid-December, have now been postponed by several months. Many applicants received last-minute emails informing them of rescheduled appointments, with some new dates pushed as far as May next year. These delays have severely impacted professionals who had travelled to India for visa stamping and are now unable to return to the US due to the lack of a valid visa stamp.
Addressing the issue at a weekly media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government had received multiple representations from affected Indian nationals. While acknowledging that visa matters fall under the sovereign domain of individual countries, Jaiswal confirmed that India has flagged the concerns with US authorities in both New Delhi and Washington DC.
He added that India remains actively engaged with the US to address and minimise disruptions, noting that the delays have caused significant hardship to applicants, their families, and the education of their children. The impact has extended beyond H-1B applicants to H-4 visa holders, primarily spouses of H-1B workers, many of whom have been stranded for extended periods.
According to officials, interviews for several other visa categories have also reportedly been postponed under the new vetting norms, though the total number of affected applicants remains unclear.
The move comes amid a broader tightening of US immigration policies under the Trump administration. Indians account for approximately 71 per cent of approved H-1B applications in recent years, as per US Citizenship and Immigration Services data. Concerns have further intensified following a September proclamation that raised the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, along with recent remarks from US Vice President JD Vance criticising the programme for allegedly bypassing American labour.
Separately, Jaiswal stated that India and the US continue discussions on a proposed bilateral trade agreement, with both sides aiming for a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial outcome.
Recent Random Post:
