A post by the U.S. Embassy in India has triggered anxiety among visa applicants and is now expected to increase visa wait times for Indians. Many visa interviews originally scheduled for December 2025 have been cancelled and pushed back, with new dates often stretching into early 2026.
The reason this has happened is that effective from December 15, the Trump administration has implemented new stringent visa vetting requirements. The focus of this change is on the applicant’s social media. In an order issued on December 10, the US State Department said, “To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J non-immigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’.”
Emphasising that a US visa is “a privilege and not a right,” the department said, “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.” It added that officers rely on all available information to determine admissibility and potential risks.
U.S. Embassies and consulates have been forced to reduce the number of interview slots available each day, leading to significant uncertainty for professionals seeking H-1B and H-4 (dependent) visas.
The Human Cost of the Delays
The deferments have created distress and logistical problems for applicants:
- Stranded Professionals: Individuals who traveled to their home country (like India) for short visits or vacations are now stranded, unable to get their visas stamped to return to work in the U.S.
- Career and Livelihood Disruption: Graduates and professionals with planned relocation dates are facing career setbacks, financial strain, and personal uncertainty.
India’s Response
When concerns were raised in parliament, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, stated that the scrutiny of visa applicants is the sovereign right of the host country. He acknowledged the American position that their strict vetting reflects the view that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”
Part of Broader Immigration Crackdown
This social media screening policy is one of several restrictive measures introduced by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules:
- Hefty Fee: In September, the administration issued a proclamation imposing a one-time fee of $100,000 on new H-1B work visas. This high cost is expected to significantly affect U.S. companies and Indian professionals seeking new employment.
- Increased Scrutiny: These policies collectively target what the administration alleges is a misuse of the H-1B program, heavily utilised by the U.S. tech industry.
The current situation forces applicants to stay calm, explore remote work or alternative immigration options, and adjust their financial and career plans as they wait for their new visa appointments.