https://www.rediff.com/news/special/us- ... 251212.htm
'My Life Has Been Paused Without My Consent'
SYED FIRDAUS ASHRAF, December 12, 2025
Outside US consulates in India, a growing number of Indian H-1B workers can now be seen waiting with folders of documents, travel bags, and phones open on their visa portals.
What began as a steady trickle of disrupted appointments in early December has turned into a widespread wave of cancellations that has caught many professionals by surprise.
The H-1B visa allows American companies to hire foreign professionals for specialty jobs that require specific skills and is awarded to holders of bachelor's degree or higher.
It is one of the most commonly used visas in the technology, engineering, science, research and healthcare sectors.
Most of these Indian applicants had planned their trips months in advance, coordinating family visits, work leave, and international flights around tightly scheduled visa interviews for renewal.
Instead, many find themselves stranded in India, unable to return to their jobs in the United States because their appointments were abruptly cancelled by the US consulates or pushed far into the future.
For the affected workers, the problem isn't simply of delay. It is the suddenness, the lack of notice, and the uncertainty of when they will be able to resume their lives in the US.
The disruptions began almost immediately after the US state department introduced a new requirement for consular officers to review applicants' social media and online presence as part of the security vetting process.
American consulates across India appear to be adjusting at different speeds, resulting in inconsistent rescheduling decisions -- some pushing interviews by weeks, others by more than four months.
Raghav Subramani, a software engineer from San Diego, arrived in Chennai expecting a straightforward renewal. "I flew almost 20 hours to get here," Subramani tells Rediff. "At the airport, I saw an e-mail saying my appointment was cancelled."
"Now I have been given a new date which is in March. No explanation, nothing. It feels like my life has been paused without my consent," Subramani adds.
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Gautam