As India contributes the highest number of H-1B visa holders to the United States, any modification in H-1B visa regulations has a direct impact on Indian nationals first. The introduction of social media vetting in December 2025 has pushed H-1B interview appointments by several months, leaving thousands of H-1B visa holders stranded in India. These individuals had traveled to their home country to renew their visa stamping, only to find all available dates blocked for months.
Two Major Changes Behind the Backlog
The enormous backlog is attributed to two significant policy shifts. First, the stamping process now must be completed in the applicant's home country. Second, all visa stamp renewals are subject to social media vetting, a new requirement that has added layers of scrutiny and delays.
Diplomatic Channels Activated
The issue has been raised through diplomatic channels. During a roundtable meeting organized by the New York Foreign Press Centre, State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott addressed the concerns in an interview with news agency PTI. He emphasized that the visa rules have not been altered specifically to target India but are part of a global implementation of visa laws.
“When it comes to visas… what we had here for a long time with previous administrations going back was inconsistent application of visa law. That is no longer the case. We are consistently applying visa law across the board. I think that will offer clarity,” Pigott stated.
“There are no visa laws that target India. These are global visa laws that are being implemented with clarity, clear instructions that are being applied across the board,” he added.
Balancing National Interests
Pigott further explained that in visa policy, the United States will collaborate with other countries to facilitate entry for individuals essential for trade, investment, and work. He cited numerous examples of such bilateral cooperation worldwide. However, he also stressed the importance of ensuring that Americans have opportunities in the U.S. job market.
“We also are clear, as in any country, that if you are going to create a job in the US, that we want to make sure that Americans have opportunities there, and every country has a similar mentality,” Pigott said. He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emphasized that each nation pursues its own national interests.
“Of course, we’re going to facilitate and allow ways that people need to come in to facilitate investment, to train workers, and make sure that visa policies are in place to allow that to happen. We’re applying the laws consistently across the board. There are no visa laws that target India specifically.”
He concluded, “We are going to make sure that when we have visa policies in place, that while we facilitate the entry of workers into the United States, we want to make sure, as any country would, that Americans in America, or name your country and their own citizens, have the opportunities of that investment as well.”
