US Visa Backlog Worsens, Interview Dates Deferred to 2027

US Visa: The US H-1B visa stamping delays have reached an unprecedented level, leaving thousands of Indian professionals working in the United States facing deep uncertainty. With no new visa interview dates available for the remainder of the calendar year, applicants are now being pushed as far as 2027, according to immigration experts and official consular communications.

Visa offices across India—including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata—have effectively stopped offering regular interview slots for H-1B and other petition-based visas. The US State Department’s appointment scheduling system currently displays a stark message: “Not available”, offering no clarity on future timelines.

US Visa: Appointments Rescheduled by Two Years

The crisis has intensified after applicants who had secured interview dates for January and February 2026 began receiving emails from US consulates informing them that their appointments had been deferred to April or May 2027. For many professionals, this abrupt shift has disrupted travel plans, employment continuity, and family commitments.

Immigration attorneys say the scale of the backlog suggests the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

“There is absolutely no indication that new slots will open in India,” said US-based immigration attorney Emily Neumann, who has closely tracked the situation. “In the last 50 days, I have not heard of a single new interview slot being released for India.”

Trump Administration Policy Changes Drive Backlog

The mounting US H-1B visa stamping delays coincide with sweeping changes to the H-1B programme under the Trump administration. On December 29, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published revised rules for FY 2027, reinforcing stricter oversight without increasing visa availability.

Despite the overhaul, the annual cap remains fixed at 85,000 visas, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with US postgraduate degrees, offering no relief to the growing demand.

US Visa: Tighter Scrutiny, Fewer Interviews

Several policy shifts have compounded the delays:

• Mandatory social media screening for visa applicants has significantly increased processing time per case

• Third-country visa stamping has largely been discontinued, forcing Indian nationals to rely solely on Indian consulates

• Consulates are now able to conduct fewer interviews per day, creating an ever-growing queue

As a result, the entire demand for Indian applicants must now be handled domestically, overwhelming already stretched consular resources.

Experts Warn Against Travel for H-1B Holders

Neumann issued a stark warning to H-1B holders currently in the US, advising them not to travel to India for visa stamping.

“They are not in any hurry to issue visas,” she said. “This administration is actively trying to deny visas wherever possible. It is a completely different world compared to what we saw under the Biden administration.”

H-4 Visas Also Under Threat

The tightening environment has not spared dependents. The US State Department has reportedly begun prudential visa revocations, with several H-4 visa holders losing their status due to actions taken against their H-1B spouses.