The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has formally protested the United States’ December 15 decision to widen its ‘enhanced review’ of H-1B petitions—covering not just principal applicants but also H-4 dependants worldwide. Speaking at a media briefing on Saturday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had conveyed concerns to both the US Embassy in Delhi and the State Department in Washington after hearing from Indians unable to reschedule cancelled appointments.
Since mid-December, US consulates in India have pulled thousands of interview slots to implement stricter social-media screening and higher documentary thresholds. Applicants report wait times in Mumbai stretching beyond 500 days, while repeat travellers in Chennai have been pushed into mid-2027. Software engineers separated from spouses and children over the Christmas break say school enrolments and tenancy agreements are at risk.
For those scrambling to keep projects on track amid these shifting rules, VisaHQ offers an easy way to check live appointment availability, assemble the correct paperwork and compare alternative visa routes such as Canada, the UK or Schengen countries. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) aggregates real-time consular updates and can coordinate courier submissions, sparing applicants multiple trips to crowded VACs.
![India Tells Washington H-1B Vetting Expansion Is Stranding Families]()
For Indian IT exporters, the new checks compound existing headwinds: the US recently hiked first-time H-1B filing fees to US$100,000 and introduced a skills-weighted selection model that has reduced Indian approvals to a 10-year low. Companies such as TCS and Infosys are accelerating near-shoring to Mexico and Canada while hiring 32,000 additional engineers domestically, according to staffing-firm Xpheno.
The MEA’s intervention stops short of retaliatory measures but underscores rising diplomatic friction. Officials hinted that New Delhi expects ‘predictable, transparent processing’ for skilled visas, linking it to the broader tech-supply-chain agenda under the US–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
Indian assignees awaiting travel should prepare for prolonged uncertainty: mobility teams are advising dual-track planning—applying for B-1/B-2 visitor visas or Canada/UK alternatives where project timelines permit. Legal experts recommend compiling five years of social-media history and readying additional client letters before interviews are re-scheduled.
Since mid-December, US consulates in India have pulled thousands of interview slots to implement stricter social-media screening and higher documentary thresholds. Applicants report wait times in Mumbai stretching beyond 500 days, while repeat travellers in Chennai have been pushed into mid-2027. Software engineers separated from spouses and children over the Christmas break say school enrolments and tenancy agreements are at risk.
For those scrambling to keep projects on track amid these shifting rules, VisaHQ offers an easy way to check live appointment availability, assemble the correct paperwork and compare alternative visa routes such as Canada, the UK or Schengen countries. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) aggregates real-time consular updates and can coordinate courier submissions, sparing applicants multiple trips to crowded VACs.
For Indian IT exporters, the new checks compound existing headwinds: the US recently hiked first-time H-1B filing fees to US$100,000 and introduced a skills-weighted selection model that has reduced Indian approvals to a 10-year low. Companies such as TCS and Infosys are accelerating near-shoring to Mexico and Canada while hiring 32,000 additional engineers domestically, according to staffing-firm Xpheno.
The MEA’s intervention stops short of retaliatory measures but underscores rising diplomatic friction. Officials hinted that New Delhi expects ‘predictable, transparent processing’ for skilled visas, linking it to the broader tech-supply-chain agenda under the US–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
Indian assignees awaiting travel should prepare for prolonged uncertainty: mobility teams are advising dual-track planning—applying for B-1/B-2 visitor visas or Canada/UK alternatives where project timelines permit. Legal experts recommend compiling five years of social-media history and readying additional client letters before interviews are re-scheduled.
