US Expands H-1B, H-4 Visa Screening; Indian Applicants Face Long Delays.
The United States has expanded online presence reviews to all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants globally, as part of standard visa screening, the US Embassy in India said. Applicants have been urged to apply early and expect longer processing times.
This comes as thousands of pre-scheduled interviews in India have been postponed by several months. For example, interviews set for December 15 have been moved to March, while those scheduled for December 19 are now in late May. Many Indian professionals who returned home for visa renewal are now unable to return to the US for work.
The embassy said the measure is intended to prevent misuse of the H-1B programme while allowing companies to hire top foreign talent. H-1B visas are widely used by US tech firms, with Indians forming one of the largest groups of holders.
Indian officials noted that the US treats every visa adjudication as a national security decision. The expanded screening also affects H-1B dependents (H-4) and other non-immigrant visas like F, M, and J, adding to appointment delays.
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