The US Embassy in India has advised visa applicants to strictly follow any new appointment date they receive by email.
If your visa appointment has been rescheduled, you must visit the embassy or consulate only on the updated date. Arriving on the old date will result in denial of entry.
This update was shared on December 9, 2025, through the embassy’s official X account. Each year, thousands of Indians apply for US visas, so this information is very important for them.
The embassy stated:
“Attention Visa Applicants – If you received an email informing you that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India is ready to assist you with your new appointment date. Arriving on your previously scheduled date will result in denied entry.”
Why Are Visa Appointments Being Rescheduled?
Visa appointments may be shifted for several reasons, including staff shortages, technical issues, or a high volume of applications.
US consulates in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad handle millions of visa seekers every year. Since COVID, demand has increased sharply, making rescheduling more common.
If you get such an email, do not assume it is spam. These emails are sent from the official US visa portals, such as usvisas.state.gov or embassy.gov.in.
Media reports also highlight a major reason for the recent changes. Starting December 15, 2025, the US will implement an “online presence review” for H-1B and H-4 visa applicants.
This means applicants’ social media activity on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X will be checked for security purposes.
Because this process requires more time, the daily capacity of consulates has reduced, causing many December 2025 slots to shift to March 2026.
How Does This Affect Indian Applicants?
India is among the largest sources of US visa applications across student, work, and tourist categories. Rescheduled appointments can affect travel plans, flight bookings, job start dates, or university reporting deadlines.
However, the embassy has said they are prepared to help applicants manage their new dates.
Students should contact their university for support or extensions.
Business travelers should request their company to adjust their travel schedule.
