Hundreds of Indian applicants waiting for US H-1B and H-4 visa interviews are now caught in a web of uncertainty. Appointments that were once scheduled for February and March 2026 have been pushed as far as October 2026.
According to media reports, their interviews now stretch into the last months of next year. For many, this is life on hold.
Other reports have mentioned that immigration lawyers are seeing cases where appointments originally set for mid-January 2026 have also been postponed to October.
Many applicants whose slots were rescheduled are now urging those with January and February interviews to cancel. The hope: a chance to move their own cases back to earlier dates.
US consulates recently informed applicants that interviews planned for December and January were deferred to February or March. Authorities blame the delays on extra processing time linked to expanded social media screening.
Professionals separated from their families are stranded. Jobs hang by a thread. Plans crumble as appointments vanish.
Immigration attorneys say mass cancellations and abrupt rescheduling have surged since mid-December. Appointments originally set for early 2026 are now pushed to the final quarter of the year.
The spokesperson from the US Consulate General in Hyderabad told a section of the media that the Department of State regularly shifts appointments as needed to match resource availability and that any changes would be communicated directly to affected visa applicants.
Sangeetha Mugunthan, associate attorney at Somireddy Law Group PLLC, was quoted as saying, “Legal action against cancellations is limited. The better option is to ask employers for remote work or leave, if possible.” She added, “Document everything. This can protect against job loss or visa issues later.”
Several applicants had already booked international travel, arranged leave, or flown to India for visa stamping, only to find their appointments gone.
For those already abroad, the consequences are severe. Families remain separated. Options to return to the US are limited.
Indian expat forums and messaging groups have lit up with anxiety and frustration. Many describe living with constant uncertainty. Others question whether the US remains a viable option.
Earlier this year, delays in F-1 student visas disrupted college admissions. Reports have emerged on how proposed fee hikes for work visas rattled the H-1B community.
Now, with H-1B interviews not happening till the next year, scores of Indian professionals face a foggy road ahead.
Also Read: How This Indian Got US Visa in One Minute https://www.vibesofindia.com/how-to-get-american-visa-in-a-minute/
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