Indians 'stranded' in India after Trump admin delays H-1B visa processing

H-1B visa workers who flew back to India in order to renew their visa to work in the US have been “stranded” as the Trump administration has delayed processing for visa applications. Many appointments for their renewals have been canceled in recent weeks.

On Friday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed it had “formally flagged” the abrupt cancellation of thousands of scheduled H-1B visa renewal interviews for the US government. “We have flagged these issues, and our concerns of our nationals tot the US side ... we hope that these delays and disruptions will be addressed.”

A spokesperson said that the delays that many of those who had appointments have been “stranded” for some time in India. The canceled appointments started in mid-December. The delays come after the State Department implemented a new policy that will ensure that those social media accounts associated with H-1B visa applicants are vetted before they come to the US.

Many of those impacted are middle-aged tech workers who have lived in the US for some time. The policy was put into action on December 15, and it expanded “the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents.”

The spokesman for India stressed that the situation has created “hardship” for those who are waiting for their visa renewal. The delays come as the Trump administration and the State Department have been increasing requirements for many different visa holders and tightening up immigration policy in general.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump expanded an immigration ban to include several other countries. The ban was first announced in June.