The US State Department declared that starting on December 15, all H-1B applicants and their dependents will be required to undergo social media screening by consular staff.
Just before he boarded his journey to India on Tuesday, December 9, Krishna Iyer (name changed) received an email from the US Consulate in Chennai informing him that his H-1B Visa renewal stamping interview, which was originally set for the end of December 2025, had been rescheduled for July 2026.
But Iyer wasn't by himself. Thousands of Indian applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas were informed that their visa renewal interviews had been automatically rescheduled by US consulates around India—not just by a few days or weeks, but by several months until 2026.
The US Department of State (DOS) has declared that, starting on December 15, 2025, all H-1B specialized occupation workers and H-4 dependent family members applying for visas or renewals at US consulates overseas will be required to undergo online presence evaluations by consular officers.
As part of its larger security-screening modernization project, this is an expansion of a vetting system that was initially put in place for F, M, and J visa applicants earlier this year. The first significant addition of employment-based categories to that framework is the December expansion. The following are included in the extended digital-identity screening policy:
Candidates must make sure that all of their social media accounts from the previous five years are public.
Consular staff will examine publicly accessible data, social media posts, and other internet content.
If authorities find any troubling material, the review may lead to further security checks, longer processing periods, or visa denials.
To manage the increased screening, consular teams are reallocating personnel.
According to Madhurima Paturi of the Law Offices of Madhurima B. Paturi in Orlando, Florida, "we are seeing significant issues with clients regarding interview scheduling delays and status complications, particularly since the recent policy changes on digital-identity screening came into effect on December 15th."
"The impact on key workers is one important area of worry. Interviews were rescheduled for a couple of my doctor clients who have been on H-1B status for more than 15 years and need to extend their stamps for travel. Given the scarcity of medical specialists, we have emailed the embassy to request emergency processing based on their status as critical workers.
Another client, who was on an H-1B visa, had to depart the US due to an emergency after their mother died in an Indian bus accident. Due to the rescheduling of their stamping appointment, they are currently stranded overseas and are unable to return. Many people have no idea when their appointments will be rescheduled, which causes anxiety for their families, notably young children and H-4 dependent spouses. Paturi continues, "This circumstance is similar to the family separation concerns we witnessed during the pandemic.
The prudential (temporary) revocation of H-1B and H-4 visas by US Consulates, she continues, is another matter of worry. People who currently reside in the United States are affected by these revocations, which relate to previously authorized visas. The embassy notifies them via email that their visa has been prudently withdrawn. This does not imply a permanent ineligibility determination; rather, it is a preventative and temporary measure. It impacts individuals whose problems were previously investigated and resolved, probably as a result of fresh information, more thorough screening, or database flags. As consular officers look to reevaluate eligibility, the rise in social media and online presence screening is probably a contributing factor, says Paturi.
What Are the Consular Officers Able to Look at?
Although the complete adjudication (judgement) criteria for H-1B/H-4 cases has not been made public by DOS, internal guidelines previously disclosed for student/exchange visa reviews indicate that officers may look for indicators such as:
material that is radical, political, or ideological and may be hostile to the United States.
support for or affiliation with overseas terrorist groups or other security risks.
content that raises the possibility of sensitive technology or research being abused.
Internet behavior that seems at odds with the facts submitted in the non-immigrant visa petition or with the goal of the visa categorization.
As DOS has previously warned that access restrictions may create credibility concerns, applicants who restrict their social media visibility or don't have an online presence may face further scrutiny. If authorities find problems, they could:
Turn down the visa
Put the matter under administrative processing so that further background checks can be conducted or
To address issues, ask for a follow-up interview.
All of the major consulates in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata appear to have undergone mass automatic rescheduling as a result of this operational change.
Travel Interruptions and Delays
Many individuals who went to India to have their H1B visas renewed are unable to return to the United States. The system takes four to five days to refresh following biometrics, so many people are unable to even try rescheduling. Some people who have strict return-to-office policies run the risk of losing their jobs, their visas, and experiencing other difficulties. Laxmi Rao (name changed) traveled to India with her husband on an H4 visa in order to get her visa renewed. Her first child is seven months along in her pregnancy. Laxmi and her spouse had intended to give birth in the United States. They won't be able to return for a few months due to policy changes that alter the date of their visa renewal.
Anybody attending a consular appointment after December 15 is impacted by the changes, including children and H-4 spouses.
Many immigration attorneys advise against traveling for stamping until things have calmed down if you are still in the United States. Even if their visa stamp is prudently withdrawn, people in the US usually keep their status. Your legal stay in the country is unaffected by the revocation. The original expiration date of your visa is still in effect. Travel arrangements outside of the United States must be immediately suspended. Paturi cautions, "If you depart, you will need a new visa stamp and cannot use the revoked visa to re-enter."
Employees in crucial project roles should make cautious travel plans since even innocuous or misconstrued online information might result in a protracted examination, potentially delaying readmission to the US.
Attention may be drawn to discrepancies between an applicant's work facts, resume data, online activity, or previous visa applications. It is advised that all materials be accurate and aligned.
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