NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Some Indian applicants for the US H-1B visa are complaining about a sudden withdrawal of their scheduled interview appointments from the online portal. The change has sent potential visa recipients into a tizzy, with many planning their travel and career commitments around these appointments.

Candidates logging in through the U.S. visa site found that their booked interview schedules were gone, some even missing all their application information. Contacting customer service led them to learn that appointments were canceled when they had asked for none. They were denied rescheduling slots as well, which seemed to indicate that they would have to pay the visa fee again if they wanted another slot.

One candidate noted that these were happening exactly three business days before the interview was scheduled. On further inquiry, it was discovered that, contrary to the indication on the online system, the initial appointments were still valid. This inconsistency implies a system error that does not accurately represent the status of appointments, causing unwarranted anxiety among applicants.

The U.S. Embassy in India has been working towards easing visa processing difficulties. The embassy, in December 2024, made public new guidelines aimed at lessening wait times and simplifying the non-immigrant visa appointment process, with an effective date of January 1, 2025. These new adjustments enable applicants to reschedule an appointment once without charging extra fees, to increase efficiency.

Nonetheless, the recent technical glitches have contributed to the current challenges suffered by applicants. The embassy has still not made an official announcement answering these particular technical concerns. Meanwhile, applicants are encouraged to print out their appointment confirmations when making bookings. This tangible evidence will act as proof of the appointment in case of system errors.

The H-1B visa program, which enables American firms to hire foreign professionals for specialty jobs, has been a conduit for Indian professionals looking for jobs in America for years. The recent technical problems highlight the importance of making the visa processing system better continuously to provide an easy experience to applicants.

While the U.S. Embassy sorts out these technical hitches, applicants are advised to keep abreast of developments through official sources and keep careful records of their application processes.