US Implements Social Media Vetting for H-1B Visas: Indian Applicants Face Appointment Delays Until March 2026

Interviews originally scheduled for December are now being rescheduled to March of next year.

The implementation of new social media vetting requirements by the US State Department has caused significant disruptions for H-1B visa applicants from India, with numerous appointments being delayed until next year. On Tuesday evening, the US Embassy in India released an advisory to affected visa applicants.

"If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date," the advisory stated.

The Embassy emphasized that visa applicants who attempt to attend their previously scheduled interviews after receiving rescheduling notifications will be denied entry to the consulate. "Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate," the Embassy clarified.

According to Bloomberg, interviews that were initially scheduled for mid to late December are now being postponed to March next year. However, the total number of affected appointments remains undisclosed.

Steven Brown, an attorney from a prominent business immigration law firm, confirmed the situation: "Mission India confirms what we have been hearing. They have cancelled a number of appointments in the coming weeks and rescheduled them for March to allow for the social media vetting."

The US government has expanded its screening protocols for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, requiring them to maintain "public" privacy settings on all social media profiles. Starting December 15, officials will begin reviewing applicants' online presence to identify individuals who may be inadmissible or present potential threats to America's national security or public safety. This level of scrutiny was previously applied only to students and exchange visitors.

"Every visa adjudication is a national security decision," stated the State Department.

This social media screening represents the latest measure in the increasing scrutiny of the H-1B program, which serves as the primary immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers and has faced mounting restrictions under the Trump administration. In September, US President Donald Trump instituted a one-time $100,000 fee for new H-1B work visas, a policy expected to significantly impact Indian professionals seeking temporary employment in the United States.

Additionally, the US recently suspended processing of Green Card applications, US citizenship requests, and other immigration applications for individuals from 19 designated "countries of concern" following an incident involving an Afghan national shooting National Guard soldiers.