🚨 Policy Alert: Mass H-1B/H-4 Rescheduling Due to New Online Presence Review
Authored by Wendy R. Barlow, Esq.
A major operational challenge has emerged for thousands of temporary workers and their families relying on consular processing. The Department of State (DOS) has begun unilaterally rescheduling H-1B and H-4 visa appointments, a move directly tied to the new requirement for online presence review.
This change has severe implications for travel, employment, and personal plans, and requires immediate attention from applicants and their employers.
The Consular Appointment Crisis
Beginning December 8, 2025, applicants with H-1B and H-4 visa interview appointments scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, started receiving notices that their appointments were being reassigned.
- Delay Extent: Many of the original interview dates are being postponed by several months, with numerous new appointments falling in March 2026 and some scheduled as late as June 2026.
- Affected Posts: While many reports originate from Mission India posts (including Hyderabad and Chennai), reschedulings have also been reported from posts in Ireland and Vietnam.
The Reason: Expanded Vetting
Consular posts are attributing these mass reschedulings to the immediate implementation of the Department of State’s new online presence review requirement for all H-1B applicants and their dependents.
The expanded vetting necessitates that consular posts reduce their daily interview capacity to accommodate the time needed to conduct this review. This reduction in daily capacity is cited as the reason that original appointment dates cannot be honored due to operational constraints.
⚠️ Critical Guidance for H-1B and H-4 Applicants
The following points are crucial for affected individuals and the employers supporting them:
- Do Not Appear on Your Original Date: Applicants are explicitly instructed not to appear on their initial appointment date, as they will not be seen. You must only attend on the newly issued appointment date.
- Monitor Portals Immediately: Clients must log in to their visa appointment profiles to check for message-center notifications and retrieve their updated appointment letters.
- Avoid Non-Essential Travel: If you are abroad with an expired visa or seeking initial issuance, you may be unable to return to the United States for several months due to these delays. We advise those with expired H-1B or H-4 visas to avoid non-essential travel.
- Rescheduling Constraint: Applicants who cannot attend the new date may reschedule online, but are limited to only one opportunity to reschedule. Furthermore, fee receipts older than one year are considered expired and cannot be used to reschedule. Missing or canceling the rescheduled appointment may result in forfeiture of the fee.
- Biometrics Appointments Unaffected: The Visa Application Centre (VAC) biometrics appointments remain valid and unaffected by this change.
- Communicate with Employers: Affected employees should promptly notify their employers to plan for necessary contingencies, such as remote work arrangements or project delays, caused by the delayed visa issuance.
This policy shift creates immediate logistical and employment challenges. Cohen, Tucker + Ades is closely monitoring the situation across global consular posts and is prepared to advise employers and individuals on navigating these significant travel and employment disruptions.
Contact Cohen, Tucker + Ades P.C. today for a confidential consultation on how to navigating these significant travel and employment disruptions.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains general information and is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Cohen, Tucker + Ades P.C. Immigration laws and fee schedules are subject to frequent change. The information provided herein may not reflect the most current legal developments. You should not act or refrain from acting based on information contained in this post without seeking professional counsel from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction. Cohen, Tucker + Ades P.C. expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this post.
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