‘Flagged our concerns to the US’: MEA on H-1B visa appointment delays

India on Friday said that it has flagged its concerns to the United States over problems faced by Indian nationals in rescheduling H-1B visa appointments.

Addressing a weekly briefing on Friday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government has received several representations from affected Indians, many of whom have been stranded for extended periods, causing hardship to families and disrupting children’s education.

“Visa related issues pertain to the Sovereign Domain of any country, we have flagged these issues and our concerns to the US side, both here in New Delhi and in Washington, DC… Several people have been stranded for extended period, which have caused a lot of hardships to the families as well as their children’s education…,” said Jaiswal.

He said that the US side has taken steps to ease the situation. From December 15, appointment scheduling capacity has been expanded to help address the backlog.

“The government of India remains actively engaged with the US side to ensure smoother visa processing for Indian nationals," Jaiswal added.

The developments come amid heightened scrutiny and growing uncertainty for H-1B applicants.

The US Embassy in India has begun reviewing the online presence of all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants to curb misuse of the programme.

Meanwhile, proposed policy changes in the US could further tighten the H-1B regime.

The US Department of Labor has suggested revisions to wage protection rules that could significantly raise minimum salary requirements, potentially deterring employers from sponsoring visas.

Separately, a Department of Homeland Security proposal to prioritise higher-paid applicants in the H-1B lottery is reportedly close to final approval.

Experts warn these measures could restrict access for recent graduates and early-career professionals, particularly impacting Indian nationals, who make up over 70 per cent of H-1B visa recipients in recent years.

With inputs from agencies