Indian immigration attorneys are urging H-1B and H-4 professionals to rethink non-urgent trips home after US consulates in India began intensive social-media vetting on 15 December 2025. Hundreds of visa-stamping appointments were cancelled in late December and rescheduled as late as April 2026, leaving many workers unsure whether they can return to their US jobs on time.
Immigration lawyer Rahul Reddy told Times of India on 8 January that emergency slots are almost impossible to secure and that consular officers “will not prioritise weddings or illness” over enhanced security protocols. Travellers without a valid visa in their passport should be prepared for protracted stays in India, he warned.
The stricter screening follows a spike in fraudulent LinkedIn profiles and résumé embellishments uncovered in last year’s H-1B cap lottery. Consular teams now cross-reference applicants’ public posts, causing interview times to jump from three to ten minutes and post-interview “administrative processing” to stretch beyond 60 days.
![H-1B Holders Warned of Lengthy US Visa Stamping Delays in India]()
For travellers trying to navigate these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can help streamline the paperwork and appointment-setting process. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers real-time alerts on consular changes, document checklists tailored to H-1B/H-4 renewals and optional concierge services that can save applicants hours of monitoring scarce slots—particularly useful when cancellations force last-minute itinerary changes.
US corporate mobility heads are advising staff to renew visas at third-country posts such as Singapore or Barbados—options that remain faster but come with their own appointment scarcity and travel costs. Meanwhile, outsourcing giants are lobbying Washington to reinstate the domestic visa-renewal pilot, which would allow H-1B holders to re-stamp passports inside the United States and avoid travel altogether.
For employees who must travel, experts recommend carrying proof of current employment, client contracts and a contingency plan for remote work, as well as budgeting for extended lodging in India should returns be delayed.
Immigration lawyer Rahul Reddy told Times of India on 8 January that emergency slots are almost impossible to secure and that consular officers “will not prioritise weddings or illness” over enhanced security protocols. Travellers without a valid visa in their passport should be prepared for protracted stays in India, he warned.
The stricter screening follows a spike in fraudulent LinkedIn profiles and résumé embellishments uncovered in last year’s H-1B cap lottery. Consular teams now cross-reference applicants’ public posts, causing interview times to jump from three to ten minutes and post-interview “administrative processing” to stretch beyond 60 days.
For travellers trying to navigate these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can help streamline the paperwork and appointment-setting process. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers real-time alerts on consular changes, document checklists tailored to H-1B/H-4 renewals and optional concierge services that can save applicants hours of monitoring scarce slots—particularly useful when cancellations force last-minute itinerary changes.
US corporate mobility heads are advising staff to renew visas at third-country posts such as Singapore or Barbados—options that remain faster but come with their own appointment scarcity and travel costs. Meanwhile, outsourcing giants are lobbying Washington to reinstate the domestic visa-renewal pilot, which would allow H-1B holders to re-stamp passports inside the United States and avoid travel altogether.
For employees who must travel, experts recommend carrying proof of current employment, client contracts and a contingency plan for remote work, as well as budgeting for extended lodging in India should returns be delayed.
