Mass cancellations and abrupt rescheduling of H-1B visa appointments are pushing interview dates well into October 2026. As panic spreads across immigrant communities, attorneys warn that legal remedies are limited, forcing affected professionals to negotiate remote work, unpaid leave, or costly travel changes.
“Despite limited legal action immediately available, the better option for affected applicants would be to plead with employers for remote work or leave, if that’s possible.” – Sangeetha Mugunthan, immigration attorney
AK (name withheld on request), an H-1B visa holder currently working in the U.S., received an unwelcome email in his inbox yesterday morning. The message informed him that his H-1B visa appointment, originally scheduled for Jan. 5, 2026, had been rescheduled to August 2026. AK said the six-month delay sent him into a tizzy, prompting frantic calls to his company’s human resources and legal teams for guidance on next steps.
Several immigration attorneys told The American Bazaar that they are seeing visa appointments originally set for mid-January 2026 pushed as far out as October 2026.
READ: Social media screening sparks H-1B turmoil: Visa appointments in India pushed to mid-2026 (
Following a sudden spike in mass visa appointment cancellations from mid-December 2025 through the first half of 2026, many visa holders in the U.S. feared they were already facing a worst-case scenario.
For many, however, the worst was yet to come. While some initially believed the cancellations were temporary and that dates would not be pushed further, visa holders were shocked to receive emails rescheduling their interviews even later — into the final months of 2026.
Most of those affected by the date changes had already booked travel and are now facing ticket cancellations, along with potential financial and professional losses. The worst affected, however, are those who had already traveled to India and learned of the cancellations only afterward.
Do those impacted by the rescheduled appointments have any legal recourse to challenge the sudden change? Ashburn, Virginia–based Sangeetha Mugunthan, an associate attorney at Somireddy Law Group PLLC, addressed the issue, saying, “While a direct legal action against the cancellation itself is tough. I would advise applicants to document everything to avoid potential job loss or visa issues that can arise later.”
As news spread of dozens of H-1B visa stamping applicants receiving similar emails, expat chat groups lit up with frustration and anxiety. An aghast H-1B professional, Ram Raghu, wrote on one social media channel, “Only an NRI can understand, the pain of living with the visa complications.”
Another user commented, “Day by day it is becoming scary. It’s high time to realize that USA is not the only option.”
Some visa holders have tried to help others by sharing practical tips, such as advising fellow applicants to travel just two days before their interview so they can cancel tickets if an appointment is rescheduled.
Most H-1B and other nonimmigrant visa holders in the United States have been closely monitoring appointment rescheduling over the past week. Immigration attorneys say the biggest challenge remains for those whose visas have expired and who must travel abroad for stamping.
An increasing number of Indians in the U.S. say they feel subjected to heightened and unnecessary scrutiny. Earlier this year, delays in F-1 visa processing disrupted college admission timelines for international students. In the fall, proposed fees of up to $100,000 rattled the H-1B community. Now, the latest round of H-1B visa appointment cancellations has left work-visa holders feeling pressure like never before.