A new rule from the U.S. government requiring social-media screening of all H-1B visa applicants and their dependents (H-4 visas) has triggered widespread disruption to visa appointments.
Consular posts around the world; including several in India; are now cancelling or postponing many interviews originally scheduled for mid- to late-December 2025.
According to multiple reports from immigration attorneys and visa-applicants, some of the cancelled interviews have been rescheduled all the way into March 2026.
The new policy, effective December 15, 2025, makes the online presence of H-1B and H-4 candidates; including their publicly accessible social-media accounts; part of the visa screening process.
Applicants are now asked to make their social-media privacy settings “public” to allow consular officers to review their posts and connections.
This expanded vetting has forced consulates to reduce the number of daily visa interviews, resulting in many appointments being postponed.
Biometric appointments have largely remained unchanged, but follow-up visa interviews are being deferred, in many cases by several months.
Affected applicants include those relocating for new jobs, professionals visiting home between contracts, family members re-joining relatives abroad, and others on short-term trips.
Many report being caught off guard; some had already completed biometrics before receiving cancellation notices.
As consulates adjust to the new requirements, visa-seekers are being advised to track their official emails for updated appointment dates; showing up on the original date is likely to result in denial of entry.
The changes have caused widespread concern among workers and families relying on timely visa processing.