The US Embassy announced on December 10, 2025, that from December 15 it will expand its "online presence review" for all specialty occupation temporary worker (H-1B) visa applicants and their H-4 visa dependents. A spokesperson said, "In every visa case, we will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought, including that the applicant intends to engage in activities consistent with the terms of admission." They added that visa appointments might be shifted to match resource availability and any changes will be communicated directly to affected applicants. This move comes after President Donald Trump imposed a $100,000 annual fee on new H-1B applications in September to promote US citizen employment in IT. The new online scrutiny is causing significant delays in visa interviews. Applicants with appointments from December 15 onwards have been receiving emails rescheduling their interviews to as late as March or May 2026. For example, an interview set for December 15 was postponed to March, and a December 19 appointment was pushed to late May. Other visa categories are also facing interview delays. The US Embassy urged applicants not to attend the consulate on their original dates. "If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date," the Embassy said. Applicants arriving on old dates will be denied entry. Numerous applicants have shared their setbacks online. One said, "My H-1B consular appointment in Chennai, originally on December 18, got cancelled right after I completed the biometrics process on Tuesday, and was auto-rescheduled to April 30, 2026." Indians account for 71% of all approved H-1B visas recently, making these delays deeply impactful to the Indian IT community. (With PTI inputs)