The US Department of State has postponed all H-1B visa interviews scheduled for December in India to March 2026 or later. Many Indian H-1B holders traveling back for visa stamping received emails about this sudden rescheduling from consular offices in Hyderabad and Chennai. These workers now face a wait of at least six months in India. They remain uncertain if their companies will allow them to work remotely during this period. Immigration attorney Ryan Wilck doubts the official explanation and believes the delay aims to slow down immigration. He noted that "the immigration officials will obviously use AI to go through the social media accounts of the applicants and it would be done instantly." The US Department of State confirmed the reason as the need for thorough social media vetting. An official said, "Beginning December 15, we are expanding the online presence review to all specialty occupation temporary worker (H-1B) visa applicants and their dependents in the H-4 visa classification." Further, the official stated, "In every Visa case, we will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought." They added that appointment shifts happen as per resource availability and that applicants will be notified about any changes directly.