After almost four months of near-paralysis, US consulates in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata have begun quietly releasing new interview appointments for H-1B, H-4 and initial F-1 visas. The Financial Express reports that slots are appearing in small batches and vanishing within minutes as travel agents and applicants scramble to re-book interviews that were cancelled or pushed into 2027 after the State Department introduced mandatory social-media screening on 15 December 2025. The sudden opening offers immediate relief to thousands of Indian tech professionals and students who flew home for holidays, only to find themselves stranded when their scheduled interviews were auto-rescheduled. Immigration firm Murthy Law told the paper that many H-1B workers have been unpaid for weeks while waiting for appointments to re-open, and some US employers have begun shifting project timelines or re-routing work to India-based global capability centres to cope with the disruption. Consular officials have not issued a formal press release, but multiple lawyers confirm that “new inventory” of appointments is being released several times a week. The batches are tiny—often a few hundred slots for the whole country—and experts warn that demand continues to outstrip supply by at least five to one.
Travellers already in the United States are still being advised to avoid non-essential travel until capacity stabilises, a process that could take “many months,” according to Murthy Law.
For applicants trying to navigate these constantly moving goalposts, VisaHQ’s India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can help by tracking appointment releases in real time, flagging Dropbox eligibility, and ensuring that the new social-media disclosures and supporting documents are in perfect order before a slot becomes available—often the difference between securing an interview and waiting weeks longer.
![US Consulates Release Fresh H-1B, H-4 and F-1 Interview Slots Across India]()
Behind the backlog is the December 2025 policy that requires applicants to make social-media accounts public for vetting. The extra screening slashed the number of interviews each consular post could handle per day, even as “Third-Country National” processing was curtailed, forcing all Indian applicants to use missions at home. Interview availability fell by more than 60 percent, creating a queue that stretched into 2027.
Practically, Indian firms that move employees back and forth on short notice should plan for longer lead times, keep key staff on domestic payrolls where possible, and prepare documentation now so they can grab a slot when it appears.
Universities counselling Fall 2026 admits are telling students to watch the appointment portal daily and budget for last-minute airfare once an interview is secured.
For business travellers, the single biggest mitigation remains the in-country Dropbox renewal programme, which continues to process many petition-based visas without an interview if the previous visa expired within four years.
Travellers already in the United States are still being advised to avoid non-essential travel until capacity stabilises, a process that could take “many months,” according to Murthy Law.
For applicants trying to navigate these constantly moving goalposts, VisaHQ’s India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can help by tracking appointment releases in real time, flagging Dropbox eligibility, and ensuring that the new social-media disclosures and supporting documents are in perfect order before a slot becomes available—often the difference between securing an interview and waiting weeks longer.
Behind the backlog is the December 2025 policy that requires applicants to make social-media accounts public for vetting. The extra screening slashed the number of interviews each consular post could handle per day, even as “Third-Country National” processing was curtailed, forcing all Indian applicants to use missions at home. Interview availability fell by more than 60 percent, creating a queue that stretched into 2027.
Practically, Indian firms that move employees back and forth on short notice should plan for longer lead times, keep key staff on domestic payrolls where possible, and prepare documentation now so they can grab a slot when it appears.
Universities counselling Fall 2026 admits are telling students to watch the appointment portal daily and budget for last-minute airfare once an interview is secured.
For business travellers, the single biggest mitigation remains the in-country Dropbox renewal programme, which continues to process many petition-based visas without an interview if the previous visa expired within four years.
