H-1B Visa Appointments Delayed Resulting from Enhanced U.S. Social Media Vetting

Final Up to date:December 10, 2025, 09:06 IST

The US Embassy in India has warned visa candidates to attend solely their rescheduled appointments, as arriving on unique dates will result in denial of entry.

A consultant picture for an H-1B visa (AP)

The US Embassy in India has issued an advisory for H-1B visa candidates, after lots of the current appointments have been rescheduled or postponed within the wake of the US State Division’s new social media vetting coverage.

The Embassy warned that arriving on beforehand scheduled appointment dates will end in denial of entry.

In an X put up, the Embassy acknowledged, “Consideration visa candidates – When you’ve got obtained an electronic mail advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India appears ahead to aiding you in your new appointment date.”

“Arriving in your beforehand scheduled appointment date will end in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate,” it wrote.

The announcement comes towards the backdrop of a pointy improve in visa revocations by the US State Division this 12 months.

In a separate X put up, the Division of State talked about, “85,000 visa revocations since January. President Trump and Secretary Rubio adhere to 1 easy mandate, they usually gained’t cease anytime quickly.”

The posts underline the Donald Trump administration’s intensified deal with immigration enforcement, visa compliance, and nationwide safety.

In accordance with a senior State Division official, greater than 8,000 of the revoked visas affected college students.

Key offences cited embrace driving beneath the affect (DUI), theft, and assault, which collectively accounted for practically half of the cancellations in 2025.

Whereas the official didn’t element the remaining instances, previous explanations have included visa expirations, assist for terrorism, and participation in politically delicate actions.

For example, in October, visas have been revoked for people accused of getting “celebrated” the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and worldwide college students concerned in protests associated to the Gaza battle have additionally come beneath heightened scrutiny.

ENHANCED VETTING FOR H-1B VISA APPLICANTS

On December 3, the Donald Trump administration introduced elevated vetting of candidates for H-1B visas for extremely expert employees, with an inside State Division memo saying that anybody concerned in “censorship” of free speech be thought of for rejection.

H-1B visas, which permit US employers to rent overseas employees in speciality fields, are essential for US tech firms, which recruit closely from international locations together with India and China. A lot of these firms’ leaders threw their assist behind Trump within the final presidential election.

The cable, despatched to all US missions on December 2, orders US consular officers to overview resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B candidates, and members of the family who can be travelling with them, to see if they’ve labored in areas that embrace actions akin to misinformation, disinformation, content material moderation, fact-checking, compliance and on-line security, amongst others.

The cable mentioned all visa candidates have been topic to this coverage, however sought a heightened overview for the H-1B candidates, given they continuously labored within the know-how sector, together with in social media or monetary providers firms concerned within the suppression of protected expression.”

The brand new vetting necessities apply to each new and repeat candidates.

The Trump administration has made free speech, significantly what it sees because the stifling of conservative voices on-line, a spotlight of its overseas coverage.

Officers have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they are saying is the suppression of right-wing politicians, together with in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views like criticism of immigration within the title of countering disinformation.

In Could, Rubio threatened visa bans for individuals who censor speech by People, together with on social media, and prompt the coverage may goal overseas officers regulating US tech firms.

The Trump administration has already considerably tightened its vetting of candidates for pupil visas, ordering US consular officers to display screen for any social media posts that could be hostile in direction of the USA.

As a part of his wide-ranging crackdown on immigration, Trump in September imposed new charges on H-1B visas.

Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly accused the administration of Democratic former President Joe Biden of encouraging suppression of free speech on on-line platforms, claims which have centred on efforts to stem false claims about vaccines and elections.

ALSO READ | H-1B Approvals For Indian IT Corporations Crash To Lowest In 10 Years

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