H-1B/H-4 Visa Appointment Cancellations For Enhanced Vetting

Following the Dept. of State's announcement that it will expand its "online presence review" to all H‑1B and H-4 visa applicants starting Dec. 15, 2025, U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India ("Mission India") started, on Dec. 8, sending cancellation emails to those with interviews scheduled on/after Dec. 15. While cancellations have so far been reported out of Mission India only (particularly in Chennai and Hyderabad), travelers need to be prepared even if applying at another consulate to receive similar cancellation emails/notices that may disrupt their travel plans.

What is "Enhanced Vetting"?

First impacting applicants for F-1, M-1 or J-1 student visa (since June 2025), "enhanced vetting" is a policy whereby the Dept. of State and Consular Officers review certain visa applicants' social media profiles and activity to determine whether they display "hostile attitudes towards U.S. citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles," or "support for terrorism," thus posing a possible national-security or public-safety risks. This added scrutiny slowed down the processing of F-1, M-1 and J-1 visas, resulting in longer waiting times to obtain a visa appointment and post-interview delays in visa issuance.

On Dec. 3, 2025, the Dept. of State announced that it would similarly subject H-1B and dependents' H-4 visa applicants to enhanced vetting, requiring them not only to disclose their social media usernames/handles over the past five years, but also to set all their social-media profiles to "public" in anticipation of their visa interview.

Visa Appointment Cancellations

Currently limited to Mission India, U.S. Consulates started to cancel H-1B and H-4 visa appointments (for initial visa or renewal) due to the "operational constraints" in implementing the new policy, and are rescheduling the appointments as late as end of 2026. Updated Appointment Confirmations will be made available on applicants' CEAC account, under "Visa Application Home"/"Appointment Confirmation." Note that so far, Biometrics appointments at VACs are not impacted.

Unfortunately, visa applicants may have few options to reschedule for an earlier date, particularly in light of the Dept. of State's September 2025 policy requiring them to apply in their country of nationality or last residence.

What You Should Do

1. Consult your CEAC account: If you are scheduled to appear for an H-1B or H-4 visa appointment on/after Dec. 15, 2025, and have not received an email cancellation from the U.S. Consulate, you should check your CEAC account regularly to confirm the scheduled appointment still stands (you should also regularly check your junk/spam email box, in case the Consulate's email was identified as spam and not distributed to your Inbox).
2. Consult with your legal representative to determine whether your current immigration documents might allow you to return to the U.S. without the need for a new H-1B or H-4 visa: in some cases, a new H-1B/H-4 visa might not be required to return to the U.S., and you might be able to continue using an existing one. This might include continuing to travel on a prior employer's H-1B visa that is still valid, or returning to the U.S. from Canada or Mexico under Automatic Visa Revalidation. If you think such situation might apply to you (or your H-4 dependents), it is important to first consult with your legal representative.
3. If you cannot attend the rescheduled visa appointment: you will be able to re-schedule the appointment and, if this will be your first request to re-schedule, you will not be required to pay the visa fees again. However, the new appointment date may be even further out than initially rescheduled by the Consulate. Please do not simply not attend the new appointment, as your record will be marked as a "no-show."
4. Requests for emergency appointment: while this option remains available to visa applicants (H-1B/H-4, and all others), such requests are sparsely granted and do require proof of unforeseen extenuating circumstances justifying the emergency appointment. Loss of employment in the U.S. (or impact of delayed return to the U.S. on your employer) is generally not sufficient to receive an emergency appointment.
5. Contact your Employer: If you have already left the United States, or are scheduled to depart shortly, you should contact your employer to discuss contingency plans. While certain employers might permit some form of remote work from abroad, unfortunately you might have to cancel an upcoming trip abroad if you require a new visa for returning to the U.S.

Impact on Other Consulates/Visa Categories

U.S. Consulates in India process the highest number of H-1B/H-4 visa applications worldwide (accounting for over 70% of H-1B visa approvals in the most recent fiscal year, FY2024).¹ While cancellation emails have thus far only been reported from Mission India, it is very possible that other consulates will follow. It is also possible that the Dept. of State may further expand enhanced vetting to other non-immigrant visa categories, under the Executive Order 14161, "Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats."

It is therefore important that you monitor your CEAC account and emails (including junk folder), and communicate upcoming international travel to your employer, even if your appointment is currently scheduled in a country other than India or if you are applying for another type of non-immigrant visa. Our team will continue to monitor and post updates as the situation continues to develop.

Footnote

1. See U.S. Consulate General Chennai at https://in.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/chennai/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Consulate%20in%20Chennai,in%20processing%20employment%20based%20visas; "U.S. sets visa records in India in 2023 through staffing increases, innovations, and increased efficiency," at https://in.usembassy.gov/u-s-sets-visa-records-in-india-in-2023-through-staffing-increases-innovations-and-increased-efficiency/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20U.S.%20consular,the%20process%20for%20this%20group.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.