With US consulates in India pushing thousands of December visa appointments to March 2026 or later, immigration attorney Surbhi Singh has warned H-1B professionals and their H-4 dependants to avoid non-essential travel. Speaking to Business Standard, Singh said expanded social-media vetting introduced on 15 December is lengthening post-Covid backlogs and could leave workers “stranded for months.” ([business-standard.com](https://www.business-standard.com/immigration/h-1b-h-4-visa-holders-planning-an-emergency-trip-to-india-think-twice-126010900367_1.html?utm_source=openai))
The advice reverberates through India-centric tech corridors. Many employees traditionally fly home in January for weddings or medical emergencies, planning to obtain fresh visa stamps before returning to the US. Now, even those who have completed biometrics are seeing interviews rescheduled, sometimes twice.
Employers risk project delays and breach-of-contract penalties if key staff cannot re-enter the United States on time. Several IT majors have activated remote-work contingencies or shifted deliverables to near-shore centres in Mexico and Canada.
![Immigration Lawyers Urge H-1B/H-4 Holders to Reconsider Emergency Trips to India]()
Amid the uncertainty, travellers can lean on specialist services such as VisaHQ, which helps applicants double-check document packages, monitor shifting appointment calendars, and flag alternative consulate options. The company’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers step-by-step guidance and real-time updates that can reduce the chance of unpleasant surprises at the last minute.
Law firms recommend that travellers whose visas are already expired obtain ‘drop box’ interview-waiver eligibility before booking tickets. Those not eligible should consider travel only after receiving an actual interview confirmation—not merely an appointment request.
The episode highlights a broader trend: Washington’s growing insistence on in-person interviews and deep-dive security checks, reversing many pandemic-era flexibilities. Indian policy analysts expect bilateral discussions when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visits Washington in February.
The advice reverberates through India-centric tech corridors. Many employees traditionally fly home in January for weddings or medical emergencies, planning to obtain fresh visa stamps before returning to the US. Now, even those who have completed biometrics are seeing interviews rescheduled, sometimes twice.
Employers risk project delays and breach-of-contract penalties if key staff cannot re-enter the United States on time. Several IT majors have activated remote-work contingencies or shifted deliverables to near-shore centres in Mexico and Canada.
Amid the uncertainty, travellers can lean on specialist services such as VisaHQ, which helps applicants double-check document packages, monitor shifting appointment calendars, and flag alternative consulate options. The company’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers step-by-step guidance and real-time updates that can reduce the chance of unpleasant surprises at the last minute.
Law firms recommend that travellers whose visas are already expired obtain ‘drop box’ interview-waiver eligibility before booking tickets. Those not eligible should consider travel only after receiving an actual interview confirmation—not merely an appointment request.
The episode highlights a broader trend: Washington’s growing insistence on in-person interviews and deep-dive security checks, reversing many pandemic-era flexibilities. Indian policy analysts expect bilateral discussions when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visits Washington in February.
