(INDIA) U.S. embassy and consulate visa applicants across India are being told to expect appointment changes after the President designated December 24, 2025 (Christmas Eve) and December 26, 2025 (the day after Christmas) as federal holidays, forcing U.S. diplomatic posts in India to close their public counters on those two days. The closures mean that visa interviews booked for those dates will not go ahead as planned, and applicants are being moved to new slots, according to a notice circulated to applicants and appointment holders. “Since the President has declared Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and the day after Christmas (Dec 26) as federal holidays, all US Embassies in India will be closed on these days,” the notice said.
What the closures mean for applicants
Because Christmas week is already one of the busiest periods for travel, students, tech workers, tourists and family visitors who were counting on late-December interviews now face extra waiting and the risk of missed flights or delayed program start dates.
People who set appointments months in advance often pick dates to match university reporting windows, job start dates, or weddings, and even a short shutdown can ripple through plans.
The notice told applicants that:
“Visa interviews scheduled on these dates are being moved to different dates. Please check your email for any update regarding your visa appointment.”
Why embassies close on federal holidays
Under U.S. rules, when a day is treated as a federal holiday, embassy and consulate buildings generally close to the public and pause routine consular work, including interviews for both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas.
This matters especially in India because the main U.S. diplomatic posts handle a huge flow of applicants from cities far beyond their consular districts. Many people travel long distances for a single appointment.
Applicants who show up at the gates on a closure day usually cannot enter for interview processing, even if they have printed confirmations. The guidance reiterated:
“Federal holiday designation means U.S. embassies and consulates observe the holiday and are closed to the public; when posts are closed they do not conduct visa interviews or consular services on those dates.”
How rescheduling will happen
The rescheduling itself is expected to occur through the same account applicants used to book.
- In many cases, the post will send an updated date and time.
- Some applicants may be asked to pick a fresh slot inside the online calendar.
- The notice advises people to monitor the email address linked to the appointment, including spam and junk folders.
- Messages may come either from the embassy or consulate directly or from the appointment service provider that handles bookings in India.
If no message arrives, applicants can:
1. Log in and check their profile for changes.
2. Contact the visa unit if necessary.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, email checks prevent wasted trips.
Practical impacts and common concerns
For applicants, the main worry is timing. Many consular visits line up with:
– Paid leave from work
– Nonrefundable train tickets
– Short hotel stays near the consulate
A moved appointment can also affect:
– Medical exams for immigrant visas (often booked around the interview date)
– Students trying to make January reporting dates
– Document reviews and time-limited clearances tied to immigrant interviews
In the guidance shared with applicants, people with urgent travel were told to contact the visa unit quickly and include key identifiers such as the confirmation number from the online form used to apply. For most temporary travel visas, that form is DS-160, filed online through the State Department at https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV.
Immigrant visa applicants use a different form, DS-260, available at https://ceac.state.gov/IV. The same holiday closures can delay interviews that are already tied to document reviews and time-limited clearances.
Applicants asked to attend on December 24 or December 26 said in messages shared among applicants that they worry about losing money on travel to Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, or Kolkata, where most visa processing happens. The source material did not name individual applicants, but the concerns reflect a familiar pattern: a single canceled interview can mean weeks of extra waiting when calendars are tight.
Common guidance and next steps for applicants
Consular closures for federal holidays are not unusual, but the late notice can catch applicants off guard because many people assume only January 1 and December 25 will interrupt end-of-year services.
The guidance urges applicants to:
– Confirm the exact new appointment date and time
– Keep proof of the change
– Read the rescheduling note carefully for any extra steps (for example, reconfirming attendance or uploading a document)
Applicants who cannot find a rescheduling message are being told not to guess. The advice is:
1. Sign in to the same appointment portal used to book the original slot and look for updates.
2. If the profile still shows the old date after logging in, use the official contact channels listed on the embassy or consulate website to reach the visa unit or helpdesk.
For the U.S. government’s general explanation of how embassies and consulates handle visa services, applicants can consult the State Department’s visa information page at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html, which includes links and contact points for many routine questions.
Wider operational effects
The holiday closures apply across the network of U.S. diplomatic posts in India, meaning applicants should not expect another post to “cover” interviews when one building is shut. Consular sections normally run on managed quotas, and shifting hundreds of appointments can crowd nearby dates, when staff schedules also change.
People rescheduled into early January may find that the move affects connecting steps such as:
– Biometric collection (where required)
– Document delivery windows for passports after the interview
The notice advised applicants to copy the new date “exactly into your calendar,” a small detail that can prevent costly mistakes.
Quick checklist for affected applicants
- Check the email address linked to your appointment (including spam/junk).
- Log in to the appointment portal to confirm any changes.
- Keep a copy or screenshot of the new appointment confirmation.
- If you have urgent travel, contact the visa unit and include your confirmation number.
- Review any rescheduling note for extra steps (reconfirmation, document uploads).
- Use official embassy/consulate contact channels if you do not see an update.
Important: Do not travel to the consulate on Dec 24 or Dec 26 expecting service — the posts will be closed and interviews will not be conducted on those dates.
U.S. embassies and consulates across India will close on December 24 and 26, 2025, after these dates were designated as federal holidays. All visa interviews scheduled for those days are being rescheduled. Applicants must check their emails and online portals for new appointment times. This closure impacts students, workers, and families during a peak travel season, requiring careful monitoring of official communications to avoid travel disruptions.
