How US social media screening is causing stamping delays, distress for Indian H1-B applicants

The US state department announced that from Dec 15 consular officers will conduct mandatory social media screening for all H-1B applicants and their dependents.

Krishna Iyer (name changed) got an email from the US Consulate in Chennai on Tuesday, December 9, just before boarding his flight to India that his H-1B Visa renewal stamping interview scheduled for end of December 2025 has been moved to July 2026.

Thousands of Indian H-1B and H-4 applicants saw their visa renewal interviews pushed to 2026.(Representational Image)

However, Iyer was not alone. Thousands of several Indian H-1B and H-4 visa applicants received update that their visa renewal interviews were auto-rescheduled by the US consulates across India, that too not by just days or weeks but by several months to 2026.

The US Department of State (DOS) has announced that, effective December 15, 2025, consular officers will begin conducting mandatory online-presence reviews for all H-1B specialty occupation workers and H-4 dependent family members applying for visas/visa renewals at US consulates abroad.

This is an extension of a vetting framework first implemented for F, M, and J visa applicants earlier this year as part of its broader security-screening modernisation initiative. The December expansion marks the first major addition of employment-based categories to that framework. The expanded digital-identity screening policy includes the following:

• Applicants must ensure that their social media accounts used in the last five years are set to public.
• Consular officers will review social media activity, publicly available information, and other online content.
• The review may result in additional security checks, extended processing times, or visa refusals if officers identify any concerning information.
• Consular teams are reallocating staff to handle the expanded vetting.

“We are seeing significant issues with clients regarding interview scheduling delays and status complications, particularly since the recent policy changes on digital-identity screening came into effect on December 15th,” says Madhurima Paturi of the Law Offices of Madhurima B. Paturi in Orlando, Florida.

“One major area of concern is the impact on essential workers. A couple of my physician clients, who have been on H-1B status for over 15 years and are required to extend their stamping for travel, had their interviews rescheduled. We have sent an email to the embassy requesting emergency processing based on their essential worker status, given the shortage of medical professionals.”

“Another client, on H-1B visa had to leave the US for an emergency after their mother tragically passed away in a bus accident in India. They are now stuck abroad because their stamping appointment was rescheduled, and they cannot return. Many individuals do not know when their appointments will be rescheduled, which creates distress for their families, including H-4 dependent spouses and young children. This situation mirrors the family separation issues we saw during the pandemic,” adds Paturi.

She adds that another issue of concern is the prudential (temporary) visa revocation of H-1B and H-4 visas by the US Consulates. “These revocations apply to visas that were already approved, affecting people already residing in the US and are notified by email from the consulate that their visa was prudentially revoked. This is a precautionary and temporary action and does not imply a finding of permanent ineligibility. It affects people whose issues were previously vetted and cleared, likely due to new data, expanded screening, or database flags. The increase in social media and online presence screening is a likely contributing factor, as consular officials seek to reassess eligibility,” tells Paturi.

What Can the Consular Officers Examine?

While DOS has not publicly released the full adjudication (judgement) standard for H-1B/H-4 cases, internal guidance issued earlier for student/exchange visa reviews suggests that officers may look for indicators such as:

• Political, ideological, or extremist content that could reflect hostility towards the US.
• Support for or association with foreign terrorist organisations or other security threats.
• Content suggesting potential misuse of sensitive technology or research.
• Online activity that appears inconsistent with the purpose of the visa classification or with information provided in the petition for a non-immigrant visa.

Applicants who limit their social media visibility or lack an online presence may be subject to additional scrutiny, as DOS has previously cautioned that constraints on access may raise credibility questions. If officers identify issues, they may:

• Refuse the visa
• Place the case into administrative processing for extended background checks or
• Request a follow-up interview to clarify concerns

This operational shift appears to have triggered mass automated rescheduling across all major consulates in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

Travel Delays and Disruptions

Many people who have traveled to India for H1B Visa renewal stamping are unable to return to the US. Many cannot even attempt rescheduling because the system needs 4–5 days to refresh after biometrics. Some with rigid return-to-office policies risk job loss and visa status loss and other hardships. Laxmi Rao (name changed) on a H4 Visa had come to India with her husband for visa renewal stamping. She is seven months pregnant with her first child. Laxmi and her husband had planned to have their baby in the US. The changes to policy resulting in changes to their visa renewal date will prevent their return for several months.

The changes affect anyone attending a consular appointment after Dec 15, including H-4 spouses and children.

Many Immigration lawyers suggest that If you're still in the US, do not travel for stamping until things settle down. “People in the US generally retain their status even if their visa stamp is prudentially revoked. The revocation does not affect your lawful stay in the United States. Your original visa expiration date remains in effect. It is critical to immediately halt international travel plans outside of the US. If you leave, you cannot use the revoked visa to re-enter and will require a new visa stamp,” warns Paturi.

Since even innocuous or misinterpreted online content can trigger extended review, potentially delaying reentry to the US, employees in critical project roles should plan travel conservatively.

Inconsistencies between an applicant’s online activity, resume details, employment information, or prior visa filings may draw attention. Accuracy and alignment across all materials are recommended.

Recommended Steps for Employers

• Plan for longer visa-stamp turnaround times, especially for project-critical travelers.
• Advise employees to conduct a pre-travel review of their online presence for material that could be misinterpreted.
• Update internal mobility guidance to reflect the heightened screening environment.
• Encourage employees to inform HR/immigration teams before scheduling international travel, especially if stamping will be required.

Recommended Steps for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants

• Ensure social media accounts are set to “public” prior to the consular interview, as required by DOS.
• Review online content for accuracy and professionalism; avoid deleting content in ways that appear manipulative.
• Maintain documentation that aligns with the petition and DS-160 responses.
• Build in extra time when planning trips abroad that involve visa renewal.