US visa delays: Indian H-1B workers stranded as Trump admin starts social media checks; firms rush to bring them back
Immigration experts said that while some companies have approached consultants to secure earlier interview appointments, other employers have permitted affected staff to continue working remotely from India until the process is completed, ET reported.
At the same time, employees whose visas are nearing expiry are being asked to fly back to the US immediately. Under US immigration rules, H-1B visa holders can legally live and work in the country even if the visa stamp in their passport has expired, provided they have a valid immigration status and I-94 arrival record.
However, anyone travelling out of the US must obtain fresh visa stamping from a US embassy or consulate before re-entering.
Indian professionals, many of whom are on H-1B visas, often schedule visa renewals alongside December holidays spent in India. That plan has been disrupted after the US began strictly enforcing social media reviews from December 15, according to ET.
As a result, a large number of visa interviews have been deferred to next year, with available dates now ranging from March to June.
Industry experts said the delays are affecting staffing decisions, project timelines and client obligations, particularly across the technology sector. “US employers are exploring possibilities of earlier appointments or giving them (employees) the option of remote working,” said Rajneesh Pathak, founder and chief executive of investment advisory firm Global North.
He said several companies have reached out to his firm for assistance in managing employees stuck in India. The impact has been immediate in some cases.
An immigration attorney described how one Indian H-1B holder, whose visa stamp was valid until December 18, 2025, and who had an approved extension through 2027, returned to the US just two days after arriving in India.
“This was after he realised that his visa-stamping appointment was abruptly rescheduled to June 2026 and his employer advised an immediate return,” the attorney said. According to Sukanya Raman, country head at immigration firm Davies & Associates, companies are urging employees to re-enter the US before their existing visas lapse.
“Employers are asking employees to urgently re-enter the US before their current visas expire, while others whose visas have already expired are unfortunately stranded abroad,” she said.
Raman added that firms are now advising Indian employees currently in the US to avoid travelling to India altogether. “There is significant stress for H-1B visa holders as careers are placed on hold, families are separated, and financial planning is disrupted,” Raman said.
The expert further highlighted a noticeable rise in interest around EB5 investor visas as uncertainty around the H-1B programme grows. Beyond visa stamping delays, travellers are also encountering tougher checks at US ports of entry.
Immigration experts said additional questioning and inspections have become more common, particularly for Indian students on F-1 visas, especially first-time travellers and those enrolling in STEM programmes.
Indian professionals on H-1B and L-1 visas, as well as frequent visitors travelling on B-1 and B-2 visas, are also facing increased scrutiny.Prachi Shah, who runs an eponymous law firm in the US told ET that most of these issues are not because of wrongdoing, “but because of careless, inconsistent, or misunderstood online activity.”
