According to overnight reports, several US consulates have cancelled or rescheduled visa appointments originally scheduled for mid-December or later to March or later in 2026. The cancellation or rescheduling is the result of last week’s State Department (DOS) announcement that, from December 15, DOS will expand its online presence review requirement to include all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents. This is in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review.
Additional appointments may be cancelled or rescheduled.
The increased DOS scrutiny will reduce consular posts’ overall capacity for appointments, leading them to conduct fewer interviews each day.
According to consular posts, when issuing appointment cancellations or rescheduled dates, at the time of this reporting, applicant biometrics appointments remain unchanged.
What to Expect
This increased review will likely lengthen wait times across all visa categories.
For foreign nationals with an H-1B or H-4 visa appointment scheduled for December 15, 2025, or later, their visa interview appointment may be cancelled and rescheduled. Due to the increased scrutiny, the overall screening process for an H-1B or H-4 applicant may involve additional review.
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For foreign nationals who have had their appointment cancelled or rescheduled, to access a new appointment letter, they must log in to their account, go to the “Visa Application Home” page, click on “Appointment Confirmation,” and print the new appointment letter. Additionally, this can be found under “Messages” on the “Visa Application Home” page of the profile.
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Applicants who are unable to attend their interview on the new appointment date must reschedule online.
Next Steps
We recommend that any applicants with pending appointments remain in communication with their employer and counsel. Further, visa holders should consider the overall timeline of their visa validity before traveling internationally.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.