If you’re working in the United States on an H-1B or other employment-based visa and planning international travel this holiday season, you need to read this first. Recent policy changes and widespread appointment cancellations are creating significant delays for visa holders trying to return to the U.S.
Starting December 8, 2025, the U.S. State Department began cancelling and rescheduling H-1B and H-4 visa appointments, primarily affecting applicants at consulates in India but potentially impacting other locations worldwide. These disruptions could leave you stranded abroad for weeks or even months if you’re unprepared.
Breaking: H-1B Visa Appointments Being Cancelled and Rescheduled
The U.S. Department of State has begun systematically cancelling visa appointments scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, affecting thousands of H-1B primary visa holders and H-4 dependents.
What’s causing the disruption?
The cancellations stem from the implementation of a new mandatory online presence review process for all H-1B applicants and their dependents. This additional screening layer requires consular officers to examine social media accounts, professional profiles, and digital footprints before approving visa applications.
Which consulates are affected?
While the majority of cancelled appointments are currently at U.S. consulates throughout India—including Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata—the State Department has indicated this policy applies globally. Consulates in other high-volume locations may begin implementing similar cancellations.
How will you know if your appointment is cancelled?
Affected applicants receive direct communication from the consulate where they scheduled their appointment. However, processing these notifications takes time, so checking your appointment portal regularly is essential.
The Bigger Picture: Why Travel Risks Are Higher Than Ever
The appointment cancellations represent just one challenge in an increasingly complex visa renewal landscape. Multiple factors are converging to make international travel riskier for work visa holders:
1. Interview Waiver Eliminations
The interview waiver program, which previously allowed certain visa holders to renew their visas without an in-person appointment, has been discontinued for most categories. This means nearly everyone needs an appointment—precisely when appointments are becoming scarce and subject to cancellation.
2. Extended Processing Times
Administrative processing following visa interviews now regularly extends for weeks or months, particularly for applicants from certain countries or working in technology, engineering, or research fields. Even after your interview, receiving your passport and visa back can take considerably longer than pre-2024 timelines.
3. Enhanced Security Screenings
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has increased inspection of electronic devices at ports of entry. Travelers should expect potential delays and should avoid carrying sensitive work data, proprietary information, or materials that could raise questions about their visa status.
Critical Considerations Before You Book That Flight
Before finalizing any international travel plans, work through these essential questions:
Do You Actually Need a New Visa?
This is the most important question. Your visa stamp is only required for entry into the United States—it’s not required to maintain your legal status while you’re already in the country.
Check your visa stamp expiration date: If your current visa stamp is still valid and you’re maintaining your H-1B status (valid I-797 approval notice), you can travel and return without needing a new visa interview.
Automatic Revalidation: If your visa stamp has expired but your status is current, you may qualify for automatic revalidation when traveling to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands for 30 days or less. This allows re-entry without a valid visa stamp, though specific conditions apply.
If you need a new visa: Departing the U.S. when you need visa renewal significantly increases risk. You cannot return until the new visa is issued, regardless of how long that takes.
Can Your Employer Accommodate Extended Absence?
Given current delays, any travel requiring visa renewal should assume a potential absence of 4-8 weeks minimum, with some cases extending far longer.
Essential questions for your employer:
- Can your role be performed remotely from your home country if delays occur?
- What’s the maximum acceptable absence before it impacts your employment?
- Are there critical projects or deadlines that your absence could jeopardize?
- Does your company have contingency plans for extended employee absences due to visa delays?
What Documents You Must Carry When Traveling
Even if you don’t need a new visa, traveling internationally requires careful documentation. Missing documents can result in denied boarding or complications at U.S. ports of entry.
Essential Documents Checklist:
Valid Passport: Must be valid for at least six months beyond your intended return date (country-specific requirements apply).
Valid Visa Stamp: Your H-1B or other work visa stamp must be unexpired, or you must qualify for automatic revalidation.
I-797 Approval Notice: Carry the original approval notice for your current status. This proves your authorized stay period.
Employment Verification Letter: A recent letter from your employer on company letterhead confirming your position, salary, job duties, and continued employment.
Recent Pay Stubs: At least 2-3 recent pay stubs demonstrating continuous employment and compliance with Labor Condition Application wage requirements.
Additional Recommended Documents:
- Copy of your Labor Condition Application (LCA)
- Previous I-797 approval notices showing work history
- Educational credentials and diplomas
- Marriage certificate (if traveling with H-4 dependents)
- Children’s birth certificates (if applicable)
Special Considerations for Specific Visa Categories
H-1B Primary Holders
You face the highest scrutiny and longest processing times. The new online presence review adds weeks to standard processing. If your company has offices in your home country, arrange remote work capabilities before departing.
H-4 Dependent Visa Holders
H-4 dependents are now subject to the same online presence screening as primary H-1B holders. Don’t assume dependent visa renewals are quick or automatic. If both spouses need visa renewals, consider staggered travel to ensure one person can remain in the U.S. with children or to maintain household continuity.
L-1 Intracompany Transferees
While not specifically mentioned in recent cancellations, L-1 holders should anticipate similar screening procedures. Document your managerial or specialized knowledge role thoroughly.
O-1 and P-1 Visa Holders
Artists, athletes, and individuals with extraordinary ability should carry comprehensive evidence of their achievements and ongoing U.S. engagements. Media coverage, contracts, and award documentation can expedite processing.
Border Re-Entry: What to Expect
Successfully obtaining your visa doesn’t mean smooth sailing at the airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conduct thorough reviews at ports of entry.
Current CBP Procedures:
Electronic device inspections: Officers may request to review your phone, laptop, or tablet. They can deny entry if you refuse. Back up devices before travel and remove sensitive work files, confidential client data, or proprietary company information.
Employment verification questions: Be prepared to clearly articulate your job duties, employer information, work location, and salary. Inconsistencies between your visa petition and your answers can trigger secondary inspection.
Intent to return: Officers may question your ties to your home country versus the U.S. If you’ve been in the U.S. for many years, they may scrutinize whether you truly intend to maintain foreign residence.
Social media checks: With the new online presence review, officers may reference information gathered during your visa application. Ensure your current situation matches what you presented to the consulate.
Practical Action Steps You Should Take Now
If You Have Travel Planned
1. Check your visa expiration immediately: If it’s valid, you can likely travel safely. If expired, seriously reconsider non-essential travel.
2. Monitor appointment portals daily: If you have a scheduled visa appointment, check for cancellations or rescheduling notices.
3. Prepare comprehensive documentation: Gather all required documents now, not the day before travel.
4. Inform your employer in writing: Provide detailed travel dates and acknowledge understanding of potential delays.
5. Establish remote work capability: Set up VPN access, international phone plans, and necessary equipment to work from abroad if needed.
If You’re Considering Booking Travel
1. Assess necessity: Is this trip truly essential? Family emergencies and critical personal matters may warrant the risk, but routine visits or vacations deserve careful reconsideration.
2. Check appointment availability: Before booking flights, verify visa appointment availability at your preferred consulate if you need renewal. Currently, wait times at major Indian consulates exceed several months.
3. Build in buffer time: Don’t schedule travel immediately before critical work deadlines or during periods when your physical presence is required.
4. Consider alternative locations: Some consulates have shorter wait times than others, though traveling to third-country nationals (consulates outside your home country) carries additional complexity.
5. Consult an immigration attorney: Given the high stakes, professional guidance specific to your situation is invaluable.
Why These Changes Matter: Understanding the Legal Reality
Here’s what many visa holders don’t fully realize: once you leave the United States, your legal protections dramatically decrease.
Inside the U.S.: You have due process rights, can challenge adverse decisions, and maintain your status while issues are resolved.
Outside the U.S.: Consular officers have extremely broad discretion. Visa decisions are generally not appealable, and there’s no court review process. If your visa is denied, you’re simply unable to return—regardless of your job, your home, your family, or your belongings in the U.S.
This isn’t meant to instill fear, but to emphasize the importance of informed decision-making. Many visa holders have traveled successfully, but the current environment carries unprecedented risks that require serious consideration.
Questions You Should Ask Your Immigration Attorney
If you’re working with immigration counsel (and you should be for significant travel decisions), raise these questions:
- Does my specific situation carry elevated risk factors?
- Am I subject to Section 221(g) administrative processing based on my field or nationality?
- Would my employer’s support letter adequately address potential consular concerns?
- Are there any pending policy changes that could affect my case?
- What contingency options exist if my visa is delayed or denied?
The Bottom Line: Travel Smart, Not Sorry
International travel on a U.S. work visa requires more planning and carries more risk than ever before. The combination of appointment cancellations, eliminated interview waivers, enhanced screening procedures, and extended processing times creates a perfect storm of potential complications.
Essential takeaways:
- Avoid non-essential international travel if visa renewal is required
- Monitor appointment status daily if you have scheduled interviews
- Carry comprehensive documentation on every trip
- Establish remote work capabilities before departing
- Understand that visa decisions outside the U.S. offer limited recourse
- Consult with immigration professionals before making travel decisions
The holiday season and family obligations create strong pulls to travel internationally. Balance those personal needs against the professional and practical realities of current visa processing. In many cases, the wisest decision is postponing discretionary travel until processing stabilizes.
For those who must travel despite the risks, meticulous preparation and realistic expectations about potential delays are your best protection. Your career, your family’s stability, and your long-term U.S. plans may depend on the travel decisions you make today.
