Indian H-1B visa holders who came back to India this December to renew their US work permits are stuck. Their visa appointments were suddenly canceled or postponed by US consulates. This happened between December 15 and 26, a key US holiday period. Three immigration lawyers told The Washington Post about these delays. The US State Department said these delays are because of new social media checks launched under the Trump administration. The department wants to be sure no applicant threatens US national security or public safety. From December 15, these online checks now cover all H-1B visa workers and their H-4 dependents, the US Embassy in India confirmed. Emily Neumann, an immigration lawyer in Houston, said she has at least 100 clients stuck in India. Other lawyers, Veena Vijay Ananth in India and Charles Kuck in Atlanta, each reported a dozen such cases. Ananth called it "the biggest mess we have seen" and added, "I'm not sure there is a plan." A State Department spokesperson stated, "Our embassies and consulates, including those in India, are now prioritising thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else," marking a clear shift from earlier faster processing. India accounts for 71% of all H-1B visa holders, according to a USCIS report from April 2025. The State Department also stopped allowing H-1B visa holders to renew permits in third countries from September this year. In addition, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas was enforced starting September 21. One Indian man from Detroit suburbs flew back for a wedding and missed his consular appointments on December 17 and 23, which have now expired. Lawyer Neumann wonders, "How long are companies going to be willing to wait for these people?" The new fees and delays won’t affect current visa holders but apply to new visa petitions filed after September 21, 2025, including entries into the 2026 lottery.