No H-1B Visa Appointments For 2026, Many NRIs In Distress
Many H-1B visa holders had travelled to India for visa stamping, family visits or official work, expecting to return to the US within weeks: Reports
HYDERABAD: The United States government is not planning to release any new H-1B appointment dates for the rest of 2026, and is expected to open appointments for 2027 only by mid-2026. This delay has created serious problems for non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Indian professionals working for US companies, especially those on H-1B visas.
Many H-1B visa holders had travelled to India for visa stamping, family visits or official work, expecting to return to the US within weeks. However, sudden postponements and the lack of available appointment slots have left thousands stranded in India for months, with no clear timeline for return.
Several MNCs, like Microsoft, Meta among others, have alerted their H-1B holding employees about the delay in application openings. The companies told their employees that the US state department has confirmed that consular slots for appointments in India will likely be for 2027.
For many NRIs who have booked appointment dates only for it to be rescheduled, the delay in opening new appointment dates has now turned into a job crisis.
A 29-year-old software engineer from Hyderabad, who was working in San Antonio, Texas, said her employer in the US has warned her about possible termination.
“My visa expired in August, 2025, and I came to Hyderabad on December 4 for visa stamping, thinking I would be back in the US in three weeks. My appointment date, which was initially for December 11, after a series of reschedulings, has been pushed to February of 2027. So for me, there is literally no way to enter into the US”, she said.
“When my appointment was rescheduled to April 2026, my company was initially okay with giving me a work-from-home setup until then. But when the appointment was rescheduled to 2027, they said they cannot afford a work-from-home setup until my appointment date, and are looking at possibly terminating my position at the company,” she said.
She added that the situation has caused severe mental stress. “I did everything legally. I followed the rules. But now everything is cascading on me. If they terminate my job, I have to apply for a new H-1B visa, which is next to impossible now.”
Another H-1B holder from Warangal, who is currently working in the United States, said his visa is set to expire in two weeks, but cannot book an appointment. “I generally book early slots so that there’s no overlap, but in view of my brother’s wedding in April, I thought I’ll book an appointment during that time so that I can attend his wedding and get my stamping done at the same time. Now I can’t even go back to India,” he said.
Immigration experts pointed out that H-1B workers who are outside the US do not get the 60-day grace period that applies to those laid off within the country. Once an employer withdraws the H-1B petition, the visa stamping process becomes invalid, forcing workers to find new sponsors or wait indefinitely.
