Beginning December 8, 2025, some applicants with H-1B and H-4 visa appointments at Mission India posts began receiving notices that their consular interviews scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, were being unilaterally rescheduled, many to March 2026. Consular posts attribute these changes to the Department of State’s implementation of the new online presence review requirement for H-1B applicants and their dependents, to reduce the daily interview capacity needed to carry out this expanded vetting.
Multiple posts, including Hyderabad and Chennai, have issued notices informing applicants that their original appointment dates cannot be honored due to operational constraints. Applicants are being instructed not to appear on their original date and to attend on the newly issued appointment date instead.
Key Points
- Mass Rescheduling of H-1B and H-4 Appointments: Interviews scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, are being reassigned to dates several months later, with many new appointments falling in March 2026.
- Reason for Rescheduling: Posts cite the Department’s implementation of online presence review for all H-1B applicants and dependents and the need to reduce the number of applicants processed each day while this vetting is conducted.
- Applicants Instructed Not to Appear on Original Dates: Notices state that applicants will not be seen on their initial appointment date and should appear only on the newly assigned date.
- Biometrics Appointments Unchanged: Applicants are advised that their Visa Application Centre (VAC) biometrics appointments remain valid and unaffected.
- Limited Rescheduling: Applicants who cannot attend on the new date may reschedule online, but are limited to one opportunity to reschedule. Fee receipts older than one year are considered expired and cannot be used to reschedule.
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