The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) on Friday said that it has raised concerns faced by Indians in securing US visa appointments, citing hardship to individuals and families affected by prolonged wait times.
“The government of India has received several representations from Indian nationals who are facing problems with rescheduling of their visa appointments. Visa related issues pertain to the Sovereign Domain of any country, we have flagged these issues and our concerns to the US side, both here in New Delhi and in Washington,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in the latest press conference.
#WATCH | Delhi: On H1B Visa, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "The government of India has received several representations from Indian nationals who are facing problems with their rescheduling of their visa appointments. Visa related issues pertain to the Sovereign Domain… pic.twitter.com/d7N4a7qy9k
— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2025 ‘Several Indians stranded’
The MEA acknowledged the difficulty being faced by several Indians. “Several people have been stranded for extended periods, which have caused a lot of hardships to the families as well as their children’s education… The government of India remains actively engaged with the US side to minimise the disruptions caused to our nationals,” Jaiswal said.
Why have so many appointments been cancelled / rescheduled?
While the US announced a series of measures earlier this month to strengthen the screening of visa applicants and travellers, the most significant change was the introduction of mandatory social media screening.
As part of the ‘online presence review’, all H-1B applicants will be required to change the privacy settings on all their social media platforms to “public”.
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Earlier, social media reviews primarily applied to students and exchange visitors. Now, the same checks will also apply to people applying for H-1B work visas and their family members on (dependents) H-4 visas. “The State Department uses all available information in visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security or public safety,” according to The US Department of State.
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Consular staff will examine profiles for indications of antisemitic behaviour, connections to terrorist groups, following State Department regulations. Various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, will likely be assessed.
The new social media screening requirement took effect on December 15. |
