Indian professionals seeking to renew or obtain H-1B visas are facing unprecedented delays at U.S. consulates, with interview slots now scarce through the end of 2026 and into 2027. The backlog has created serious uncertainty for thousands of tech workers, specialists and their families, complicating travel and career plans.
Why Interviews Are Being Pushed So Far Out
The delays began in December 2025, when U.S. consulates in India — including in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata — postponed H-1B visa appointments originally scheduled for late 2025 into March 2026. Subsequent rescheduling moved those dates to October 2026, and many have now been deferred into 2027, with no new slots showing up for the remainder of the current year.
According to industry observers and visa support services, two major policy shifts have contributed to the backlog:
- Mandatory social media vetting for all employment-based visa applicants introduced in December 2025 added significant review time to the process.
- The end of “third-country visa stamping” for Indian nationals funnelled all demand back to U.S. posts in India, narrowing available appointment capacity.
These changes have compounded demand pressures, leaving consular offices with no regular H-1B stamping appointments available across major cities for what could be more than a year.
Impact on Workers and Families
For Indian professionals holding H-1B status, this bottleneck has tangible consequences:
- Many who planned to travel home for personal events, visa renewals or emergencies are now reluctant to leave the U.S. out of fear they won’t be able to return without a stamped visa.
- Those already in India for renewals face multi-year waits before they can schedule interviews, delaying their return to employment in the United States.
- Families hoping to reunite or relocate together are adjusting plans in response to the shifting timeline.
Employers too are feeling the effects, with project timelines slipping and companies exploring alternatives such as remote work arrangements or transfers to countries with faster processing.
What Experts Are Advising
Immigration lawyers and visa consultants now recommend that prospective travellers:
- Plan travel far ahead, factoring in long wait times for interviews.
- Evaluate visa waiver or drop-box options where eligible.
- Consider alternative work locations or assignments while the backlog persists.
Overall, the extended delays underscore how heightened immigration policies and procedural shifts can ripple across global talent mobility, affecting careers, families and international workforce strategies.
