More than 100 days without a single H-1B cap: Indian-American community asks USCIS to stop using Indians as political tools
India has not had regular slots open for H-1B visa stamping in the past 100+ days, and there are no slots available in 2026.
With the Indian H-1B crisis caused by visa delays unresolved, the Indian-American community has expressed its concerns and urged the USCIS to stop using Indian immigrants as a political propaganda tool. Sidharth, an Indian-born investor and founder of the India-US Advocacy Council, said that it has been more than 100 days since India released H-1B regular reservation quotas. India has five consulates with zero regular quota for H-1B visa stamps, and the earliest date has now been pushed back to 2027. “Thousands are stranded. Families are torn apart. Careers destroyed,” the post read. “They follow every rule. Submit every form. Pay every fee. The system is punishing them for visiting their parents,” it added.
What is the current status of visa stamping delays in India?
The crisis began around mid-December 2025, when new H-1B social media vetting rules went into effect. Considering the year-end holidays, many Indians return to the country to renew their visa stamps. Without this stamp, their visa will not expire, but they will not be able to re-enter the United States. After they traveled to India, they were told that their appointment date originally scheduled for December 2025 had been postponed to March-April 2026. The consulate began checking visa holders’ social media histories and reduced the number of appointments per day. This has resulted in a massive backlog of appointments, with all of 2026 being dominated by postponed appointments. The latest update is that regular appointments for 2026 are not yet open.Thousands of H-1B visa holders are stuck in India and there is no clear solution to the current situation as legal departments of US employers are also unsure how to deal with employees stuck in India. Some companies, such as Amazon, are allowing H-1B visa holders stranded in the country due to the crisis to work in the country, but the unprecedented situation has thrown up some complications. Many people are at risk of losing their jobs and their U.S. property rentals
