US Embassy in India Releases Advisory on Rescheduling H-1B and H-4 Visa Interviews Following New Social Media Verification Policy

The US Embassy in India has released a warning for visa applicants, stating that those arriving on their originally scheduled interview date after having received a rescheduling notice will not be permitted entry to the consulate.

This advisory is timely as many applicants are experiencing sudden interview cancellations due to the United States’ new social media vetting requirements for H-1B and H-4 visa holders.

In a post on X, the embassy mentioned: “ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS – If you have received an email informing you that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.”

ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS – If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied…

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) December 9, 2025

The advisory comes amid significant disruptions across India, with interviews scheduled on or after December 15 being cancelled and applicants mandated to secure new dates. These cancellations correlate with the US State Department’s implementation of an enhanced online-presence review, which mandates that consular officers assess applicants’ social media activities prior to interviews.

According to the new regulations, all H-1B workers and their H-4 dependents are required to set their social media accounts to public and disclose usernames used on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, regardless of whether the accounts have been inactive for the past five years.

This additional screening requirement has dramatically decreased available appointment slots, leading consulates to reduce daily interview numbers and adjust calendars.

For many Indians, who constitute a large portion of H-1B visa recipients, the timing of these cancellations has been particularly disruptive, coinciding with the holiday season when workers typically return home for visa stamping. Immigration attorney James Hollis expressed concern about the developments, stating on LinkedIn: “I’m shaking my head about the reports coming out about H-1B visa appointment cancellations in India… The reasoning for the cancellations is that the new social media vetting policy requires implementation time and review time for the posts.”

Despite the backlash, the US State Department has justified the changes, asserting that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision” and that it is considered “a privilege, not a right”.