US Embassy issues 'worldwide alert' for H-1B, H-4 visa applicants; here's what you should know

The US Embassy in India issued a worldwide alert on Monday for H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, saying the United States has expanded online presence reviews for all such applicants as part of standard visa screening.

In a post on X, the embassy said that beginning December 15, the US Department of State expanded online presence reviews to all H-1B and H-4 applicants globally, covering all nationalities.

“This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities for H-1B and H-4 visas,” the embassy said, adding that it is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B programme while still allowing companies to hire highly skilled temporary foreign workers.

The embassy clarified that US embassies and consulates worldwide continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 non-immigrant visa applications, but advised applicants to apply as early as possible and anticipate additional processing time for these visa categories.

"U.S. embassies and consulates continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrant visa applications. We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications,” it said.

The alert comes amid widespread delays in visa interview schedules, particularly in India, where thousands of applicants have seen pre-booked H-1B interviews postponed by several months.

Many applicants with appointments after December 15 have reported cancellations or rescheduling to much later dates.

The delays have left several foreign workers stuck overseas, including applicants who travelled to India for visa stamping and are now unable to return to the US due to the absence of a valid visa stamp.

The expanded scrutiny requires applicants to keep social media accounts used over the past five years publicly accessible, allowing visa officers to review online activity and other publicly available information.

Several US technology companies have cautioned employees on work visas against international travel in view of the uncertainty around visa interview scheduling and extended processing timelines.

US embassies and consulates are experiencing delays across multiple visa categories following the rollout of the expanded online presence review, with the rules applying not only to H-1B workers and their dependents, but also to other non-immigrant visa applicants in certain categories.