The U.S. Mission in India has confirmed that all embassy and consulate facilities—including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata—will close from Wednesday, 24 December through Friday, 26 December, in compliance with a presidential executive order that shutters federal agencies on the days surrounding Christmas. Routine visa interviews, passport renewals and notarial services are suspended; only life-or-death emergency assistance will be available.
For U.S. employers, the timing could not be worse. December traditionally marks the peak travel window for H-1B and L-1 talent who visit family before the new fiscal-year cap season. Any applicant with an appointment this week will receive a cancellation notice and must reschedule—likely pushing interview dates into March or April given India’s chronic backlog. Mobility managers should immediately alert traveling employees to avoid ‘visa-trap’ scenarios that could strand them abroad.
In the interim, VisaHQ can help employers and travelers navigate the disruption by pre-processing DS-160 applications, monitoring for newly released slots and arranging courier services for passport handling. Their dedicated U.S. visa portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) also provides real-time alerts and alternative consular options, reducing the risk of extended project delays.
![U.S. Embassy and Consulates Across India Shut 24–26 Dec., Halting Visa Services]()
Students on F-1 visas graduating this month and seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) face a similar crunch: without a passport-return window, they may miss start-dates. Universities are advising graduates to stay stateside unless absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, dependents awaiting H-4 or B-1/B-2 renewals will encounter cascading delays that could affect school enrollment and health-insurance eligibility.
The closure also interrupts ‘drop-box’ document submissions and passport pickups, effectively freezing thousands of pending cases. Employers should liaise with BAL or Fragomen India to explore third-country processing—e.g., Singapore or Vietnam—though slots there are equally scarce during the holidays.
Consular operations are expected to resume Monday, 29 December, but the three-day pause, combined with a weekend, creates a five-day service gap. Companies should forecast at least an additional four-to-six-week delay in visa issuance for India-based talent and adjust project timelines accordingly.
For U.S. employers, the timing could not be worse. December traditionally marks the peak travel window for H-1B and L-1 talent who visit family before the new fiscal-year cap season. Any applicant with an appointment this week will receive a cancellation notice and must reschedule—likely pushing interview dates into March or April given India’s chronic backlog. Mobility managers should immediately alert traveling employees to avoid ‘visa-trap’ scenarios that could strand them abroad.
In the interim, VisaHQ can help employers and travelers navigate the disruption by pre-processing DS-160 applications, monitoring for newly released slots and arranging courier services for passport handling. Their dedicated U.S. visa portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) also provides real-time alerts and alternative consular options, reducing the risk of extended project delays.
Students on F-1 visas graduating this month and seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) face a similar crunch: without a passport-return window, they may miss start-dates. Universities are advising graduates to stay stateside unless absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, dependents awaiting H-4 or B-1/B-2 renewals will encounter cascading delays that could affect school enrollment and health-insurance eligibility.
The closure also interrupts ‘drop-box’ document submissions and passport pickups, effectively freezing thousands of pending cases. Employers should liaise with BAL or Fragomen India to explore third-country processing—e.g., Singapore or Vietnam—though slots there are equally scarce during the holidays.
Consular operations are expected to resume Monday, 29 December, but the three-day pause, combined with a weekend, creates a five-day service gap. Companies should forecast at least an additional four-to-six-week delay in visa issuance for India-based talent and adjust project timelines accordingly.
