The US has begun suspending giant numbers of H-1B and H-4 visa interviews as consular posts put together to roll out new on-line screening necessities, prompting widespread appointment cancellations and pushing many candidates’ interviews to spring 2026.
The shift has created contemporary uncertainty for employees and households who depend on the visas to journey, start new jobs, or return to ongoing employment in the US.
Candidates first observed the disruption in early December, when interview slots scheduled for mid- and late-month started disappearing from the system.
Immigration regulation agency Fragomen confirmed that it had acquired quite a few reviews of abrupt rescheduling, with many candidates being reassigned to dates in March. U.S. consulates in India, the busiest processing facilities for H-1B and H-4 visas, have despatched emails indicating that the delays stem from new government-mandated background checks starting December 15.
What the up to date screening guidelines are
Underneath the up to date screening guidelines, consular officers will overview the general public social-media exercise of all H-1B employees and their dependents.
- Candidates will be required to make accounts accessible to officers through the vetting course of, including a layer of scrutiny that officers say will take extra time per case.
- Because of this, consulates anticipate a brief however important discount within the variety of interviews they’ll conduct every day.
To forestall lengthy strains, operational bottlenecks, and same-day backlogs inside consular buildings, officers are cancelling many December interviews outright and spacing appointments months aside.
Whereas candidates will nonetheless be required to attend their biometric appointments the place fingerprints and pictures are taken, the in-person interview that determines visa approval will happen later, generally a number of months after biometrics are accomplished.
The brand new screening procedures come throughout a interval of broader change for the H-1B program. Earlier within the yr, the U.S. authorities launched modernization guidelines supposed to curb perceived misuse of the system and be sure that this system stays focused at “speciality occupations.”
The adjustments tightened degree-relevance necessities, imposed further compliance obligations on employers, and narrowed the interpretation of roles that qualify for the visa.
What it is best to know
In September, federal officers introduced a one-time $100,000 price for all new H-1B petitions, exempting solely petitions for continued employment. The announcement alarmed firms that rely closely on H-1B employees, significantly in India’s expertise sector, the place companies routinely recruit extremely expert staff for U.S. assignments.
Critics of the price argue that it’ll deter new hiring, whereas supporters say it should cut back program abuse and lift funds for home workforce initiatives.
For employees and employers, the overlapping rule adjustments and the most recent spherical of interview delays mark an more and more advanced panorama.
Candidates now face longer wait instances and expanded vetting, whereas firms navigating the brand new guidelines say the uncertainty complicates venture planning and staffing. U.S. officers haven’t indicated when consular interview operations might return to regular ranges, leaving many candidates in limbo as they anticipate clearer steerage.
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