After months of near-zero availability, sporadic H-1B visa-stamping appointments are again surfacing at US consulates in India, according to immigration attorney Emily Neumann. However, she cautions H-1B holders currently inside the United States **not** to fly home merely to obtain a fresh stamp, citing unpredictable slot cancellations and the risk of being stranded abroad if additional security checks delay passport return.
![H-1B Stamping Slots Re-Appear in India—But US-Based Employees Warned Not to Travel]()
VisaHQ, a global visa and passport services platform, can help Indian professionals and corporate mobility teams track live appointment openings, compile required documentation, and even coordinate third-country processing options; details are available at https://www.visahq.com/india/
The advice is significant for Indian IT services firms that schedule short-notice travel for client-site transitions. Consulates in December 2025 had mass-rescheduled interviews to May/June 2026, trapping hundreds of workers in India and forcing companies to activate remote-work contingencies. Although a trickle of March and April slots has now opened, cancellation rates remain high as the State Department reallocates resources to process a record 620,000 student-visa applications before the US academic year. Neumann reminds employers that an unexpired I-797 approval notice is sufficient for continued lawful presence and work authorisation inside the US; a passport stamp is required only for re-entry. She recommends that mission-critical travellers explore third-country processing—Mexico City and Toronto currently offer two-week median turnaround—while those already in India should monitor the CGI Federal portal four times daily to snap up released appointments. HR mobility teams should update travel policies to (a) discourage elective H-1B stamping trips, (b) allocate buffer time of at least four weeks post-interview before project start dates, and (c) arrange alternative visa categories (e.g., B-1 in lieu of H-1B) for emergency visits where permissible.
VisaHQ, a global visa and passport services platform, can help Indian professionals and corporate mobility teams track live appointment openings, compile required documentation, and even coordinate third-country processing options; details are available at https://www.visahq.com/india/
The advice is significant for Indian IT services firms that schedule short-notice travel for client-site transitions. Consulates in December 2025 had mass-rescheduled interviews to May/June 2026, trapping hundreds of workers in India and forcing companies to activate remote-work contingencies. Although a trickle of March and April slots has now opened, cancellation rates remain high as the State Department reallocates resources to process a record 620,000 student-visa applications before the US academic year. Neumann reminds employers that an unexpired I-797 approval notice is sufficient for continued lawful presence and work authorisation inside the US; a passport stamp is required only for re-entry. She recommends that mission-critical travellers explore third-country processing—Mexico City and Toronto currently offer two-week median turnaround—while those already in India should monitor the CGI Federal portal four times daily to snap up released appointments. HR mobility teams should update travel policies to (a) discourage elective H-1B stamping trips, (b) allocate buffer time of at least four weeks post-interview before project start dates, and (c) arrange alternative visa categories (e.g., B-1 in lieu of H-1B) for emergency visits where permissible.
