U.S. consulates in India are rescheduling many H-1B and H-4 visa interview appointments set on or after December 15, 2025, after the U.S. State Department expanded online presence and social media screening. If you planned travel to India for stamping or renewal, this change can push your interview to March 2026, June 2026, October 2026, or even 2027, which can keep you outside the U.S. longer than expected.
This affects Indian professionals and their families who need a visa stamp to return to the United States after international travel. It also affects employers, because a delayed interview often means delayed return-to-work, longer remote work from India, and a higher chance of post-interview “administrative processing” (extra review) slowing things further.
What changed on December 15, 2025: tougher online screening and fewer interview slots
On December 3, 2025, the State Department announced expanded screening that began December 15, 2025 for H-1B and H-4 applicants. A central requirement is that you must set your social media privacy to “public” so your online presence can be reviewed for national security or public safety concerns.
This has had two immediate results at consulates in India (including Chennai and Hyderabad):
- Interview capacity dropped — consulates have fewer appointments per day.
- Mass rescheduling occurred — many interviews scheduled on or after December 15, 2025 were cancelled or moved with little or no warning.
If your interview was rescheduled, you will receive an email notice with a new date. If you show up to your old appointment, you will be denied entry.
⚠️ Important: Your Visa Application Center (VAC) biometrics appointment remains valid even when the consular interview is rescheduled.
Who this affects (and why it matters)
This guide is for you if you are:
- An Indian citizen applying for or renewing an H-1B visa stamp in India
- An H-4 spouse or child applying with the H-1B worker
- A worker who traveled to India for stamping during holidays and now faces a rescheduled interview
- An employer or manager trying to plan work continuity while a team member is stuck abroad
If you are outside the U.S. without a valid visa stamp, you cannot board a flight to return (even if your H-1B approval notice is valid). Many people are working remotely from India while they wait, and some have urgent deadlines tied to work or status timing.
Eligibility and prerequisites before you act
You can follow the steps below even if you are at an early stage, but these items must be true for the process to work smoothly:
- You have a valid passport for visa issuance.
- You have a U.S. visa appointment profile for India (the same portal used to book/reschedule).
- You can access the email address tied to your appointment profile.
- You can set your social media accounts to public for review.
Two rules shape your options:
- No third-country interview workaround: A September 2025 change limits interviews to your country of nationality or residence. That blocks many people from interviewing in Canada or Mexico to avoid India backlogs.
- One online reschedule: You get one online reschedule. If you miss the new appointment, you risk losing your fee.
Step-by-step: what to do if your H-1B/H-4 interview was rescheduled in India (4 steps)
1) Confirm your new appointment and stop relying on the old one
- Log into your visa appointment profile daily and look for:
- Your new interview date
- A new appointment confirmation letter
- Any system messages
- Check your email (including spam/junk) for the reschedule notice.
- Treat the old appointment as canceled. If you go to the consulate on the old date, you will be denied entry.
2) Set your social media to “public” and make sure you can access accounts
The screening requires your online presence to be reviewable. Do this well before your interview:
- Set your social media privacy to public.
- Ensure you can sign in to accounts you listed or commonly use.
- Keep your account names consistent across platforms when possible.
3) Plan for the delay window and protect your job, housing, and timing
Rescheduled interview dates reported by applicants and firms range from March 2026 to June 2026, October 2026, and even summer 2027. Plan for a longer wait than you expected.
Key planning items:
- Work plan
- Align with your employer on remote work from India, project coverage, and time zone expectations.
- U.S. living plan
- If you have a lease, car payments, or childcare in the U.S., assign a trusted person to manage urgent tasks.
- Travel plan
- Avoid booking return flights until you have your visa in hand. A scheduled interview date is not a return guarantee.
If you have a time-sensitive issue (for example, a critical client deadline or a status-related deadline), document it clearly so you can discuss options with your employer and immigration counsel.
4) Use your one reschedule carefully and track the one-year fee clock
- You are allowed one online reschedule. Use it only after you compare all available dates and locations within India.
- Visa fees expire after one year. If your case gets pushed beyond that window, you must pay again to reschedule further.
Do not show up for the old, rescheduled appointment. The consulate won’t honor it, and you’ll be denied entry. Always rely on the updated date in your profile and bring the new confirmation letter.
Documents to prepare for H-1B and H-4 interviews in India
Use this checklist to avoid a last-minute document hunt. Bring originals where you have them, plus clear copies.
H-1B interview document checklist
- Passport (current and older passports with prior U.S. visas, if available)
- Form DS-160 confirmation page
- Appointment confirmation letter (for the new interview date)
- VAC appointment confirmation (if applicable)
- Form I-797 H-1B approval notice
- Employment verification letter (current, signed)
- Recent pay statements
- Most recent tax documents you have (commonly used to show ongoing employment)
- Resume/CV
- Client letter and work location details, if your role is at a third-party site
- Degree certificates and transcripts
H-4 interview document checklist (spouse/child)
- Passport
- Form DS-160 confirmation page
- Appointment confirmation letter (new date)
- Proof of relationship:
- Marriage certificate (spouse)
- Birth certificate (child)
- Copy of H-1B principal’s Form I-797
- Copy of H-1B principal’s visa stamp page (if available) and passport biographic page
- Photos in the format required by the consulate/VAC
Fees and timeline: what you can plan around right now
Timeline after December 15, 2025
- Interviews originally planned on or after December 15, 2025 have been rescheduled in large numbers.
- New dates commonly land in March 2026 or June 2026.
- Some appointments are pushed to October 2026 or summer 2027.
Fee rule that matters for long waits
- Your visa fee expires after one year. If your appointment keeps slipping and you cross that line, you must pay again to continue rescheduling.
Build your work and life plan around the appointment you actually have, not the one you expected.
Common mistakes that get people stuck longer (and how to avoid them)
Mistake 1: Showing up for your old appointment
If your appointment was rescheduled, the consulate will not honor the old date. You will be denied entry. Confirm the new date in your profile and bring the updated letter.
Mistake 2: Treating social media privacy as optional
This screening rule is a core part of the new process. Set profiles to public early enough that you aren’t trying to fix settings days before the interview.
Mistake 3: Using your one online reschedule too quickly
People often grab the first new date they see. Pause, review your options across Indian posts, and reschedule only when you’re confident. You get one online reschedule.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the one-year fee expiration
Long waits make it easy to drift past the fee validity window. Add calendar reminders and track the date you paid.
Mistake 5: Assuming an interview equals a fast visa stamp
Even after you attend the interview, you can face administrative processing, which extends your stay outside the U.S. Plan your work coverage with that risk in mind.
Next steps you can take today (even if your interview is months away)
- Log in and print your latest appointment letter (new date only). Save a PDF copy.
- Set your social media to public and make sure you can access accounts without password resets.
- Map your “stuck in India” plan with your employer: remote work, time off, and a backup owner for your projects. Put it in writing.
- Track two dates in your calendar: your appointment date and your one-year fee expiration date.
- For official updates and visa policy announcements, check the U.S. Department of State site at https://www.state.gov. If you want more practical immigration guides, visit VisaVerge.com.
Following new security mandates effective December 15, 2025, the U.S. State Department has expanded social media screening for H-1B and H-4 applicants in India. This change has caused mass cancellations and rescheduling of visa interviews, with new dates often landing in late 2026 or 2027. Applicants must now ensure their social media is public and prepare for significant international travel delays that impact their U.S. employment and residence.
