Indian H-1B visa holders are facing growing uncertainty after US consulates in India delayed visa appointments following the expansion of enhanced security screening requirements, leaving many families stranded abroad for months. The development has sparked concern on Capitol Hill, even as the Trump administration continues to defend the tougher vetting measures as essential for national security.

The issue stems from a December 3 announcement by the US State Department expanding mandatory online presence reviews to all H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents. The new screening rules led to sudden cancellations and rescheduling of long-planned visa appointments, catching hundreds of families off guard during year-end travel to India.

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, raised the issue in a December 17 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning that families in her district and across the country are now “stuck in limbo,” unable to return to their lives in the United States despite holding valid jobs, homes, and school enrollments.

Dingell cited cases where visa appointments were postponed with little notice, including one family whose interview was rescheduled less than 48 hours before the scheduled date and pushed back by three months. Having already traveled for the appointment, the family found itself unable to return to the US. One child, a US citizen, now faces missing months of school.

“Our children should not be the ones paying for these policy changes with their education,” Dingell wrote, calling the situation unacceptable and urging the State Department to provide clarity on timelines and safeguards to prevent similar disruptions.

The State Department, however, has strongly defended the expanded vetting. Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the measures are part of a broader effort to restore control over immigration flows and ensure proper security standards.

“You cannot sustain an immigration system with hundreds of thousands of people entering every month while maintaining thorough vetting,” Pigott said in a television interview, emphasizing that visa policy is inseparable from border security. He added that the administration is committed to an “America-first” visa approach that prioritizes national safety.

Pigott noted that visa systems must prevent individuals who may violate visa terms or US laws from entering the country, arguing that public attention often overlooks the role of visa enforcement in border security.

Dingell has requested detailed information on how long the new online presence reviews are expected to take and how the State Department plans to handle cases involving families already stranded abroad. She asked for a response within two weeks and urged a reassessment of the policy’s impact on vulnerable families.

According to the State Department, nearly 95,000 visas were revoked in 2025, including more than 8,000 involving international students, highlighting the scale of enforcement actions underway.

For Indian professionals—who make up a significant share of the H-1B workforce—the delays underscore broader anxieties about tightening US immigration policies and their human consequences, particularly for families balancing careers, education, and long-term residency plans.