US immigration lawyers slam sudden visa appointment cancellations in India; ‘maze of pitfalls’
The US Embassy in India stated that applicants may have gotten an email about their visa appointment being rescheduled, adding that they should fix a new one.
At least two US immigration lawyers have slammed the recent cancellations for US visa appointments in India. The US embassy made the announcement about setting up new appointments, on an X post, on December 9.
“ATTENTION VISA APPLICANTS - If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date. Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate,” they wrote.
This comes amid a change that mandates an online presence review for H-1B applicants and their dependents. This comes into effect from December 15, but due to the intensive nature of the checks, appointments are reportedly getting pushed to March 2026. The new change mandates that applicants have to make their social media accounts publicly accessible for visa officers to assess.
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However, two immigration lawyers have slammed the appointment cancellations.
Lawyers slam visa application appointment cancellation
Steven Brown, an immigration attorney based out of Houston, Texas, said on X “Mission India confirms what we have been hearing. They have cancelled a number of appointments in the coming weeks and rescheduled them for March to allow for the social media vetting.”
He added, “Note the ones I’ve seen are rescheduled for March. I’m sure it’ll be all over the place.” Brown is a partner at Reddy Neumann Brown PC, leading their litigation team.
Another lawyer from the same firm, Emily Neumann, has also criticized the sudden cancellations. “Visa stamping feels like a maze of pitfalls right now. Now, appointments are getting canceled without warning and pushed out by months. There is no predictability in this process, and it is creating real challenges for businesses and employees who need to travel,” she wrote, while sharing the embassy announcement.
Reactions to appointment cancellations
Several people reacted to the news of the cancellation. One person wrote on X, “Ya’ll are absolutely ruthless. What about the folks who took time off for stamping and have next appointment availability in March?”. Another added, “I am already in India and had an interview for the 23rd. My return was early Jan, how do I head back to US now? Need help as I was here for vacation and the visa extension interview.”
Yet another person noted, “Please provide some assistance to reschedule bit earlier for the people who already travelled to India for visa stamping. Rescheduling after 4 to 5 months is not practical thing.”
