Heightened Scrutiny and Delayed US Visas Now Affect Travel Plans for Indian Professionals, Get the Details Here

Published on December 21, 2025

The change in procedures has brought in heavy delays for H-1B visa holders and other Indian professionals to get back into the United States. The increased scrutiny of applicants’ social media activities is the prime reason that caused longer waits for interviews and visa stamping, bringing the whole crisis into light. With many unable to return on time, both employers and employees struggle through disruptions.

The Impact of Social Media Scrutiny on US Visa Processing
Since December 15, 2025, the U.S. authorities have ramped up their monitoring of social media accounts for H-1B visa applicants. This new measure has led to a significant backlog in visa processing, causing delays in visa appointments. Many H-1B holders, particularly from India, are facing long waits—sometimes until mid-2026—for their visa interviews. This new scrutiny is primarily focused on applicants’ online behavior, which has raised concerns over privacy among visa applicants.

For many tech professionals and business executives, this has meant delayed entry into the U.S. when they had planned to return after a holiday break or for routine visa renewals. Employers are now scrambling to find solutions to this issue, including exploring alternative work arrangements. Some companies are offering remote work options, allowing their employees to work from India until their visa issues are resolved.

Stranded Indian Professionals in the US Visa Backlog
A growing concern is the impact of these delays on employees’ work and the business operations of U.S.-based firms. The majority of H-1B visa holders from India tend to combine their December holiday period with visa renewal appointments, traveling back to their home country for personal visits. However, the increased scrutiny of social media has led to significant delays in the scheduling of interviews for visa stamping, pushing many appointments into the spring and summer months of 2026.

This disruption is not only affecting individual professionals but also the larger operations of tech companies. Software firms and other tech-related organizations rely heavily on skilled Indian professionals, and the absence of these workers has made it difficult for employers to meet project deadlines, fulfill client commitments, and effectively manage their workforce.

Emergency Travel and Remote Work Solutions
In response to these travel delays, U.S. employers are seeking alternative solutions. Some companies are taking the initiative to secure earlier visa appointment slots for their employees by hiring immigration consultants to help expedite the process. Others are offering employees the option of working remotely from India until their visa issues are resolved. In some cases, individuals with valid visas but delayed appointments have had to return to India, only to find that their interviews have been rescheduled months later, further complicating their travel plans.

Rajneesh Pathak, the CEO of investment advisory firm Global North, mentioned that companies are increasingly relying on the help of immigration experts to navigate the scheduling delays. These experts are working to secure the earliest possible slots for interviews, but the demand is far higher than the available spots.

The Strain on Re-entry for Expiring Visas
For H-1B holders who are still in the U.S., employers are urging them to avoid international travel for the time being. For those whose visas are set to expire soon, this has become a race against the clock. Those whose visas have already expired and who were planning to travel to India for their visa renewals are finding themselves stuck abroad, unable to return to their jobs. The additional stress of these travel restrictions is exacerbating the situation, as families are separated, careers are put on hold, and employers face operational delays.

For Indian professionals planning to return to the U.S. before their visa expiry, there is also pressure to travel as soon as possible. However, those caught up in the backlog are left with little choice but to wait, adding to the uncertainty surrounding their return to the U.S.

Heightened Scrutiny and Privacy Concerns
The increased scrutiny has also raised concerns about privacy among visa applicants. Social media monitoring, while not entirely new, is now more intensely enforced. Immigration attorney Prachi Shah highlighted that most of the issues faced by applicants are not related to any criminal wrongdoing but rather to misunderstanding or miscommunication of online activities. With platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn under heightened scrutiny, even the slightest misstep or perceived inconsistency in an applicant’s online behavior could result in a delay.

Indian students, particularly those on F1 visa, have been disproportionately affected by these new measures. Many first-time applicants and those applying for STEM courses in the U.S. have seen their visa appointments delayed. Indian professionals on H-1B, L-1, and B1/B2 visas have also felt the impact of these delays. The increased scrutiny has added an extra layer of uncertainty to an already challenging process.

US Consulate Cancellations and Operational Fallout
Keshav Singhania, an attorney at Singhania & Co., revealed that many applicants have reported cancellations of their scheduled visa appointments, often without any prior notice. This is believed to be a direct consequence of the additional time consular officers now need to assess applicants’ digital footprints before conducting interviews. As a result, visa interviews that were once scheduled for the upcoming months are now being pushed back, sometimes by more than six months, further compounding the operational fallout for U.S. firms that rely on a steady stream of H-1B workers.

A Disruptive and Ongoing Challenge

The current delays, as well as increased scrutiny, of H-1B visa holders have resulted in widespread disruptions for employees as well as employers in the US. Organizations are now dealing with labor shortages, while employees have no clarity about when they can return to their work in America. The addition of monitoring social media behavior has complicated the visa process, causing doubts for many Indian professionals about their ability to travel or work from their home countries.