A week before new State-Department rules requiring all H-1B applicants to share social-media handles take effect on 15 December, visa processing at U.S. posts in India has slowed to a crawl, with interviews abruptly postponed into mid-2026. cite turn8news12 A viral Reddit thread by an engineer stuck in Bengaluru has highlighted how at least 500 workers on vacation in India now risk losing U.S. jobs because their renewed visas are on hold. Pollster Frank Luntz told U.S. media the programme “can be brought to its knees” if the backlog persists.
Immigration lawyers warn that the new digital-footprint checks add 4–6 weeks of “administrative processing” even for straightforward cases. Families face cascading problems: mortgages, schooling and health insurance in America are all tied to uninterrupted visa status. Several Silicon-Valley firms have issued travel advisories instructing Indian employees not to fly home until screening protocols stabilise.
While applicants cannot circumvent the new security layers, specialist facilitators can lighten the load. VisaHQ, through its India hub (https://www.visahq.com/india/), monitors shifting appointment calendars in real time, pre-screens DS-160 forms and compiles supporting documents, helping travellers dodge reschedule penalties and eliminate paperwork snags before they reach a consular officer.
![Tougher U.S. Social-Media Screening Leaves Hundreds of Indian H-1B Workers Stranded]()
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has moved to triage the surge by automatically rescheduling thousands of December appointments. In a post on X, the mission reminded applicants that turning up on the original date would lead to denied entry, and that only one free reschedule is allowed under the January 2025 appointment-policy revamp. cite turn8search4
For mobility managers, the immediate actions are clear: cancel non-essential trips, audit employees’ visa-stamp validity and prepare for emergency remote-work requests. Indian assignees already in the U.S. should verify that upcoming international conferences or home visits do not coincide with the new screening start-date.
Longer term, companies may need to split projects between Indian delivery centres and U.S. sites until predictability returns. Congressional pressure is building for an H-1B processing overhaul, but few expect relief before the 2026 fiscal-year quota cycle.
Immigration lawyers warn that the new digital-footprint checks add 4–6 weeks of “administrative processing” even for straightforward cases. Families face cascading problems: mortgages, schooling and health insurance in America are all tied to uninterrupted visa status. Several Silicon-Valley firms have issued travel advisories instructing Indian employees not to fly home until screening protocols stabilise.
While applicants cannot circumvent the new security layers, specialist facilitators can lighten the load. VisaHQ, through its India hub (https://www.visahq.com/india/), monitors shifting appointment calendars in real time, pre-screens DS-160 forms and compiles supporting documents, helping travellers dodge reschedule penalties and eliminate paperwork snags before they reach a consular officer.
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has moved to triage the surge by automatically rescheduling thousands of December appointments. In a post on X, the mission reminded applicants that turning up on the original date would lead to denied entry, and that only one free reschedule is allowed under the January 2025 appointment-policy revamp. cite turn8search4
For mobility managers, the immediate actions are clear: cancel non-essential trips, audit employees’ visa-stamp validity and prepare for emergency remote-work requests. Indian assignees already in the U.S. should verify that upcoming international conferences or home visits do not coincide with the new screening start-date.
Longer term, companies may need to split projects between Indian delivery centres and U.S. sites until predictability returns. Congressional pressure is building for an H-1B processing overhaul, but few expect relief before the 2026 fiscal-year quota cycle.
