Hundreds of Indian professionals holding H-1B work visas find themselves unexpectedly stranded in their home country. They had travelled to India for routine visa stamping renewals but are now facing indefinite delays due to a significant expansion of the United States' social media vetting policy.
What is the New US Visa Vetting Policy?
On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of State officially announced a major expansion of its online presence review process. The new rule now mandates scrutiny for all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependent family members. Previously, this enhanced vetting was primarily applied to other categories like students and exchange visitors.
The advisory requires applicants to set their social media profile privacy settings to "public" for the entire duration of the visa application process. This allows U.S. consular officers to examine online footprints as a compulsory part of the security assessment. The stated goal is to ensure applicants pose no threat to American citizens or national interests and fully meet their visa category's eligibility criteria.
This mandatory screening, detailed on the official travel.state.gov website, is being implemented at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, leading to operational changes.
Widespread Appointment Delays and Stranded Applicants
The immediate consequence of this policy shift is a substantial increase in processing time per applicant. U.S. consular posts must now allocate significantly more time to review each individual's online presence. This has directly caused a bottleneck, resulting in widespread delays for interview slots.
Numerous H-1B consular appointments that were originally scheduled between mid-December and late December 2025 are being systematically rescheduled. The new dates are being pushed out by several months, leaving applicants in a state of limbo. Many who had planned short trips to India for renewal are now stuck with no clear timeline for return to their jobs and lives in the United States.
The State Department maintains that this thorough vetting is a non-negotiable matter of national security. It reiterates that a U.S. visa is a privilege contingent on the satisfactory completion of all screening steps.
Official Guidance for Affected Applicants
While processing continues, the State Department has issued guidance for those awaiting interviews:
- Ensure all required social media profiles and online platforms are accessible for official review.
- Monitor official communication from the consulate closely for any updates on interview dates.
- Understand that the social media review is now a standard part of the visa process and will add to overall processing timelines.
The U.S. Embassy and consulates in India have explicitly stated that applicants must attend their rescheduled appointment only. Showing up for a previously cancelled slot will not be accepted. As the system adapts to these expanded measures, visa operations in India and globally are experiencing significant adjustments during the holiday season.
The situation underscores the growing intersection of digital privacy and international immigration protocols, creating unforeseen challenges for skilled professionals navigating the renewal process.
