Waiting for a Visa? India’s H-1B Applicants Could Be Stuck Until 2027

New Delhi: No new H-1B visa stamping dates appear to be available for the remainder of this calendar year, with fresh interview appointments reportedly being pushed to 2027, causing major disruptions for Indian professionals working in the United States. Visa offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata currently show no regular interview slots.Immigration experts say there is little hope of the situation improving in the near term. The US State Department’s website lists the wait time for the next available interview for petition-based visas (H, L, O, P and Q) as “not available” at several locations worldwide, including Delhi and Kolkata.Also Read | EB-5 Visa Explained: How Investment Can Lead to a US Green CardImmigration experts say there is little hope of the US visa situation improving anytime

soon. Applicants who had interview dates scheduled for January and February have also received emails from their respective consulates informing them that their appointments have been deferred to April–May 2027.The growing backlog is linked to the Trump administration’s overhaul of the H-1B programme. On December 29, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services published new rules for the FY 2027 visa cycle, adding to the uncertainty for applicants.The annual cap of 85,000 visas remains unchanged, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with US postgraduate degrees.The annual visa cap remains unchanged at 85,000, including 20,000 slots reserved for applicants with US postgraduate degrees.In addition, the Trump administration’s increasingly stringent visa policies have brought further changes. The US now requires mandatory social media screening for visa applicants, which has increased processing times and reduced the number of interviews consulates can conduct daily. Visa stamping in third countries is no longer allowed, except in a few limited cases, meaning that the entire demand for Indian applicants must be handled by consulates in India, contributing to further delays.Immigration attorney Emily Neumann said she has not heard of any new visa interview slots opening for India in the past 50 days. She added that H-1B holders currently in the US should avoid attempting to schedule appointments for visa stamping in India.“They are not in any hurry to give you a visa. They are trying to deny visas whenever they can. It is a completely different world from what we saw during the Biden administration. This administration does not want to give you visa,” Neumann said, according to a report by TOI. Amid the stamping delays, the US State Department is also prudentially revoking visas, including H-4 visas, affecting spouses of H-1B holders.