6 months ago
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Indian H-1B visa holders who travelled backmost this month to renew their American enactment permits are stranded amid their appointments being abruptly rescheduled by U.S. consular offices, the Washington Post reported, citing 3 migration lawyers.
The Indian high-skilled workers had appointments cancelled betwixt December 15 and 26, the lawyers said, a play coinciding with the U.S. vacation season. In emails viewed by The Washington Post, the State Department told visa holders their interviews were being delayed aft the implementation of the Trump administration's caller societal media vetting policy, "to guarantee that nary applicants... airs a menace to U.S. nationalist information oregon nationalist safety.
"The United States has expanded its reappraisal of societal media and online beingness to screen each H-1B speciality concern workers and their H-4 dependents, the U.S. Embassy successful India said connected December 10.
In a statement, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson explained that the Department of State already conducts online beingness checks for pupil and speech visitant visa categories specified arsenic F, M, and J. Starting December 15, this reappraisal besides included H-1B and H-4 applicants.
Emily Neumann, a spouse astatine the Houston-based migration steadfast Reddy Neumann Brown PC, said she had astatine slightest 100 clients stranded successful India. Veena Vijay Ananth, an migration lawyer successful India, and Charles Kuck, who practices migration instrumentality successful Atlanta, said they each had a twelve specified cases.
"This is the biggest messiness we person seen. I'm not definite determination is simply a plan," said Ananth.
A spokesperson for the State Department said, "While successful the past the accent whitethorn person been connected processing cases rapidly and reducing hold times, our embassies and consulates astir the world, including successful India, are present prioritising thoroughly vetting each visa lawsuit supra each else."
According to an April 2025 study from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), India accounts for 71% of visa holders
.In July, the State Department announced that H-1B holders, and their dependents connected H4 visas, would not beryllium capable to renew their documents successful a 3rd state arsenic of September 2 and connected September 19, Mr. Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee connected caller H-1B applications, the Washington Post reported.
The Washington Post reported that an Indian antheral surviving successful the Detroit suburbs said helium flew backmost to India successful aboriginal December for a wedding and had consular appointments scheduled for December 17 and 23, which person present expired.
The Houston-based attorney, Neumann, asked, "How agelong are companies going to beryllium consenting to hold for these people?"
This comes aft the proclamation issued by U.S. President Donald Trump connected September 19, ordering a $100,000 interest for caller H-1B visa applications. According to the U.S. State Department, existent visa holders and petitions submitted earlier that day stay unaffected. Under the proclamation, a $100,000 interest indispensable travel each caller H-1B visa petition filed aft the deadline, including those submitted for introduction into the 2026 lottery.
The caller interest request applies lone to individuals oregon companies filing caller H-1B petitions oregon entering the H-1B lottery aft September 21.
