Immigration lawyers in the United States have sharply criticised the government after hundreds of Indian H-1B visa holders found themselves stranded in India this month, unable to return to their jobs in America due to sudden disruptions in visa renewals.
The disruption follows the abrupt rescheduling or cancellation of H-1B visa renewal appointments by US consular offices between December 15 and 26. Many of the affected professionals had travelled to India specifically to renew their work permits, only to be left in limbo.
The Washington Post noted that the immigration lawyers say the scale and lack of clarity around the delays are unprecedented.
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Emily Neumann, a partner at the Houston-based firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, told the Post that at least 100 of her clients were currently stuck in India. Veena Vijay Ananth, an immigration attorney based in India, and Atlanta-based lawyer Charles Kuck said they were each handling around a dozen similar cases.
“This is the biggest mess we have seen. I'm not sure there is a plan,” Ananth told the Washington Post. Neumann raised a larger concern for businesses, asking, “How long are companies going to be willing to wait for these people?”
How will it affect the Indian professionals?
According to an April 2025 report by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Indians account for 71 per cent of all H-1B visa holders.
The US State Department has attributed the delays to enhanced scrutiny under the Donald Trump administration’s expanded social media vetting rules. Visa holders were told their interviews were postponed “to ensure that no applicants... pose a threat to US national security or public safety.”
“While in the past the emphasis may have been on processing cases quickly and reducing wait times, our embassies and consulates around the world, including in India, are now prioritising thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else,” a State Department spokesperson said.
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The US Embassy in India confirmed on December 10 that online presence checks would now apply to all H-1B and H-4 applicants starting December 15.
Interestingly, the State Department earlier barred third-country visa renewals for H-1B holders, and on September 19, Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications.
