Washington: The US Embassy in India said on Monday that the United States has begun reviewing the social media activity of applicants seeking H-1B and H-4 visas from December 15 leading to delays in visa processing.
In a post on social media the embassy said applicants in these categories should apply well in advance as the process is taking longer due to stricter scrutiny. It said that while earlier such checks were limited to applicants from select countries the review has now been expanded to visa applicants worldwide.
The development comes amid reports that pre-scheduled interviews of thousands of H-1B visa applicants in India were abruptly postponed for several months. According to officials US work permit renewals are currently not being processed in India and all appointments for Indian skilled workers between December 15 and December 26 have been cancelled.
The embassy said the additional checks are part of enhanced vetting measures which have lengthened overall processing timelines.
