E-Paper
H-1B and H-4 visas row: Experts suggest the best options to workers amid interview delays
The rescheduling of H-1B and H-4 visa interviews to 2027 has led to significant challenges for applicants, including disrupted family events.
H-1B visas have been under intense criticism, especially after Donald Trump was elected to a second term. The H-1B visa system has undergone significant modifications and tighter controls as a result of proposals ranging from a $100,000 application cost to the screening of applicants through social media.
In light of these changes, a new issue has arisen for many Indian visa applicants: the abrupt and extensive rescheduling of H-1B and H-4 visa interviews, with some appointments being postponed by over a year.
Interviews have been rescheduled from 2026 to 2027
Immigration lawyer Gnanamookan Senthurjothi stated that applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas, who were initially slated for interviews in January 2026, are now facing delays. Their appointments have been rescheduled for February, March, and April of 2027 (rather than 2026), and the consular posts have not provided clear notice of this change.
Lawyers characterize this situation as an unprecedented occurrence. Interviews are now being rescheduled more than a year in advance, despite the fact that an applicant's situation may significantly change during that period. H-1B petitions could expire, applicants might change employers, modify or alter their immigration status in the United States, encounter layoffs, or even return to India permanently before their scheduled interview date. There have been major personal and professional repercussions as a result of this unpredictability.
Immigration lawyers are dealing with an increasing number of situations where visa appointments that were originally scheduled for mid-January 2026 have been delayed as far out as October 2026, according to a report by the US-based publication The American Bazaar.
How are families impacted by H-1B delays?
According to Senthurjothi’s LinkedIn post, the extended delays have significantly impacted families worldwide. Marriages are being delayed, engagements are being cancelled, and families are unable to visit sick relatives, spend time with their parents, attend crucial family events, or celebrate festivals together.
Is the current H-1B visa worse than COVID?
The scenario is particularly dangerous for H-1B workers who are currently resident in the United States. Their work and legal status could be in jeopardy if they travel to India for visa stamping based on a pre-existing appointment without guarantee that the appointment will be honored. Many employees are now forced to completely reconsider their trip plans due to the high-stakes nature of what was once a regular procedure.
The current rescheduling pattern is irrational and untenable, Senthurjothi said. Many experts have claimed that the current situation is worse than it was at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.
With interviews being postponed until 2027, the lawyer noted that the US consular mission in India seems to be “welcoming 2027 before it has even had a chance to celebrate 2026.”
What are the best options?
Attorneys are advising impacted applicants to make other plans because there aren't many urgent legal options.
Sangeetha Mugunthan, an associate lawyer at Somireddy Law Group PLLC, told The American Bazaar that while there are now few legal options available, it would be more advantageous for impacted applicants to bargain with employers for remote employment or quit, if that is possible.
