E-Paper
H-1B row: Indian applicant reveals how visa status changed from ‘refused’ to ‘approved’ in one day amid vetting delays
H-1B stamping: An Indian applicant shared experience on Reddit amid US visa row, highlighting the importance of maintaining active social media accounts.
H-1B visa stamping: The US State Department unexpectedly expanded the social media screening procedure for skilled-worker visas on December 15 to include H-1B professionals and their H-4 dependents. While the policy was not initially disclosed with much exposure, applicants are now facing delays, passport retention, and interim denials pending administrative review.
In the midst of the H-1B turmoil, an applicant from India has reported that emergency requests are currently being granted. The applicant shared the information on Reddit to help individuals set realistic expectations regarding the approval timelines within the new framework of social media vetting.
According to the Redditor's post, they arrived at the Chennai Consulate on Monday, December 15, at 9:30 am. “Reached the consulate around 8:45 AM and was let in without having to wait. First, there was a queue for fingerprint verification. After fingerprint verification, they separated all H-1B and H4s into a separate queue,” the post read. However, HT.com cannot verify the authenticity of the social media user's claim.
Questions asked
During the interview, the applicant was inquired whether this was a new application or a renewal, along with questions about their position, employer, and salary.
Subsequently, the visa officer (VO) retained the applicant's passport, stating that their case required further processing.
The Redditor further stated that they were given a white 221G slip and were requested to keep all their social media accounts active. “Expect to hear back from us via email in approximately one week,” the VO mentioned.
CEAC status approved
Upon returning to the hotel, the applicant checked the CEAC status, which had already changed to refused.
While it remained “refused” on December 16, the status was altered to “approved” on December 17 at 6 pm.
“[Mon., Dec. 22nd, 2pm]: “Ready for Pickup” on the Passport Status box of usvisascheduling. Also received an Email/SMSregarding pickup,” the Redditor said.
Be patient
Stressing that Reddit users have reported comparable timelines of 1 to 2 weeks, the Indian applicant noted once you receive those emergency appointment dates, it should not take too long, asking people to “Keep your spirits up and keep trying.”
Additional tips
On the day of the biometrics appointment, the applicant brought a new DS-160 form in addition to the old one that was used to schedule the appointment.
In this new DS-160, the Redditor provided complete links to their all social media accounts, with the exception of a few where the links were excessively lengthy to include. “For those, I had just included usernames.”
