Hundreds of H-1B and H-4 visa applicants abroad are reporting sudden cancellations of their interview appointments originally set for mid to late December 2025. Many are receiving new dates in March 2026, raising concerns among workers, families and employers already navigating long processing delays.
Multiple applicants say the rescheduling surge is directly tied to the new mandate requiring consular officers to scrutinize an applicant’s online presence, including social media activity. The added layer of review is slowing down daily interview capacity at posts overseas, creating a ripple effect for those already in the queue.
Consular emails shared by applicants confirm that U.S. posts are adjusting their schedules to prepare for the administration’s new online presence review that begins on Dec. 15. Under this policy, consular officers will be required to examine applicants’ digital footprints as part of the vetting process.
According to the messages sent out this week, posts expect to interview fewer H-1B and H-4 applicants per day once the new checks begin. To avoid backlogs inside consulates, officials are cancelling upcoming interviews and shifting applicants to later dates that match the anticipated pace of the revised workflow.
READ: State Department expands online vetting for H-1B, H-4 visas: What applicants should know (
The sudden drop in available appointments is disrupting plans for many workers and families who arranged travel, employment start dates and re-entry to the United States based on their original December slots.
U.S. business immigration attorney James Hollis publicly expressed his frustration, noting on LinkedIn that the timing of the policy shift could not be more disruptive. He pointed out that the rollout overlaps with the holiday period, a time when many Indian professionals travel home specifically to complete their visa stamping.
According to him, the sudden rescheduling has left countless applicants scrambling to adjust their plans at the last minute.
“I’m shaking my head about the reports coming out about H-1B visa appointment cancellations in India. The reports are that there have been a significant number of appointments cancelled, and applicants have been directed to reschedule the visa interview aspect of the appointment, with ASC appointments initially remaining the same. The affected appointments are on or after Dec. 15, and applicants who are impacted are receiving emails from the post indicating that they should reschedule,” Hollis wrote on LinkedIn.
“The reasoning for the cancellations is that the new social media vetting policy requires implementation time and review time for the posts, and the posts have had to reduce their available appointments to accommodate the change,” Hollis further added.
Anshuman Jha, an AI consultant, also weighed in on the broader fallout for H-1B workers. In a LinkedIn post, he wrote, “H-1B visa applicants face new social media screening. A major shift for global talent mobility: starting 15 December, all H-1B and H-4 applicants must make their social media accounts public for review.”
READ: Average US visa waits times decline across key cities (
The State Department has now confirmed that starting Dec. 15, every H-1B worker and H-4 dependent will undergo mandatory social media screening. As part of the process, applicants will need to make their social media profiles publicly viewable so consular officers can review their activity.
The new rules also require applicants to list all usernames or IDs they have used on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, even if those accounts have been inactive for years.
Reflecting on its hard stance, the Department told, “every visa adjudication is a national security decision” and stressed that a U.S. visa is “a privilege, not a right.”
While in a separate move, the Trump administration has also tightened rules for Employment Authorization Documents. The government has confirmed that EAD validity for several categories will be cut from five years to just 18 months.
The change takes effect on Dec. 5 and applies to refugees and individuals waiting on green card decisions under Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
1 Comment
Visa is a privilege. However, timely response to an application is a right as you charge a processing fee. So don’t hide behind b.s. for your lapse in services. Alternatively, don’t charge processing fee and you can delay it as long you like.