The United States Embassy and consulates operating across India have announced a significant postponement affecting numerous visa applicants. A substantial volume of visa interviews, specifically targeting H-1B work visas and H-4 dependent visas, have been rescheduled to later periods throughout 2026, representing a considerable delay for Indian professionals seeking employment-based immigration to the United States.
The official communication from Mission India emphasizes that applicants who have received notification emails regarding their rescheduled appointments should await further instructions for their new interview dates. The embassy has issued a critical warning to visa seekers, advising that attempting to arrive for interviews on originally scheduled dates will result in denial of entry and will not allow the interview to proceed as planned.
This development constitutes another obstacle in the H-1B visa pathway, which has faced multiple challenges in recent years. The H-1B visa program, widely utilized by Indian IT professionals and skilled workers, remains a primary avenue for employment-based immigration to the United States. The H-4 visa category, which permits spouses and dependent children of H-1B visa holders to accompany them to the US, is equally affected by these scheduling changes.
The deferment of such a large number of appointments reflects operational constraints at US diplomatic missions in India and suggests that visa processing capacity will remain limited in the coming months, with the embassy prioritizing appointments for the latter portion of 2026.
