Hundreds of Indian applicants waiting to appear for their US H-1B and H-4 visa interviews are now facing uncertainty after their appointments were postponed to much later dates. Initially pushed to February and March 2026, they have now been deferred to October 2026, according to news reports. Some applicants have said their interview dates were moved as late as October, according to Deccan Chronicle. Meanwhile, the US-based outlet, The American Bazaar, reported that immigration lawyers have also encountered cases where appointments originally scheduled for mid-January 2026 have been postponed until October 2026.
Many Indians who had their slots rescheduled are now reportedly urging applicants with interviews in January and February 2026 to cancel their bookings, hoping this will allow rescheduled cases to be moved back to earlier timelines.
In recent weeks, US consulates notified numerous applicants that interviews originally set for December and January have been deferred to February, or even March. According to US authorities, the delays stem from the need for additional processing time linked to expanded social media screening of visa applicants.
Earlier this month, the US State Department postponed H-1B visa interviews in India that they were scheduled for later this month.
Scores of professionals, many of whom are separated from their families, are finding themselves stranded amid repeated cancellations with their jobs hanging on by a thread.
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