US visa delays push H-1B, H-4 interviews to late 2026, leaving Indians in limbo: Reports

Hundreds of Indian applicants awaiting US H-1B and H-4 visa interviews are facing fresh uncertainty after their appointments were reportedly pushed back to October 2026, following an earlier rescheduling to February and March 2026.

Also read | US social media vetting 'delays' H-1B visa interviews in India

Some applicants said their interview dates were moved as far as October next year, according to Deccan Chronicle. US-based outlet The American Bazaar also reported that immigration lawyers have encountered cases in which appointments originally fixed for mid-January 2026 were deferred to October 2026.

Visa backlogs disrupt lives

Many Indians whose interview slots were rescheduled are now reportedly urging applicants holding appointments in January and February 2026 to cancel their bookings, in the hope that vacated slots could allow deferred cases to be brought forward.

Over the past few weeks, US consulates have informed several applicants that interviews initially scheduled for December and January have been postponed to February or even March. US authorities have attributed the delays to the need for additional processing time linked to expanded social media screening of visa applicants.

Scores of professionals, many of them separated from their families, now find themselves stranded amid repeated cancellations, with their employment prospects hanging in the balance.

Attorneys flag appointment chaos

Immigration attorneys told The American Bazaar that mass cancellations and abrupt rescheduling of visa appointments have picked up pace since mid-December, catching applicants off guard. Many interviews that were scheduled for early 2026 are now being pushed to the final quarter of the year.

“The Department of State regularly shifts appointments as needed to match resource availability. We will communicate any changes directly to affected visa applicants,” a spokesperson for the US Consulate General in Hyderabad said, according to Deccan Chronicle.

“Despite limited legal remedies available immediately, the better option for affected applicants would be to seek remote work arrangements or leave from employers, if possible,” Sangeetha Mugunthan, associate attorney at Somireddy Law Group PLLC, told The American Bazaar.

Mugunthan added that taking direct legal action against appointment cancellations is difficult, advising applicants to document all developments carefully to avoid potential job loss or visa complications later.

Families caught in limbo

Several applicants had already booked international travel, arranged leave, or flown to India for visa stamping, only to be informed that their appointments had been cancelled.

For those already outside the US, the fallout has been particularly severe, resulting in prolonged separation from families and limited options to return.

Also read | H-1B, H-4 visas: US to begin social media vetting of applicants from Dec 15

As reports of the latest postponements spread, Indian expatriate forums and messaging groups were flooded with anxiety and frustration. Many users spoke of living under constant uncertainty, while others questioned whether the US remained a viable long-term destination.

Earlier this year, delays in F-1 student visa processing disrupted college admission timelines for Indian students. More recently, proposed fee hikes for work visas unsettled the H-1B community.

Now, with H-1B visa interviews being pushed deeper into late 2026, hundreds of Indian professionals say their careers and family lives are hanging by a thread, with no clear end to the uncertainty in sight.