H-1B delays push lives into limbo as fresh social media checks stall approvals

Appointments for H-1B visa applications are being rescheduled to as late as 2027, pushing the wait time to over a year, as scrutiny is stepped up, affecting thousands of submissions. The impact is pronounced for Indians as an estimated three-fourths of all H-1B visas go to people of Indian origin.

Over the last few days, US consular appointments in December have been cancelled and rescheduled to 2026. Now, many who have booked H-1B appointments in early 2026 are seeing their appointments moved to 2027, say immigration experts.