Your American dreams might have to wait! Indians face increased US visa refusals over social media checks

Want to go to the US but facing delays for your visa? Your are not alone! Many Indians who applied for US visas are struggling with delays, as tighter scrutiny over social media activity and past arrests slows processing in the country’s largest revenue generating market. Over the past year, more applicants have been issued 221(g) notices, temporary visa refusals that allow consular officers to verify backgrounds before making a decision. The trend comes after US President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2025, tightening visa norms. Indians, who accounted for over 70% of H-1B visas in FY24 according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, are among the most affected by these measures. Section 221(g) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act allows visas to be temporarily refused or put on hold. While such notifications are not new, experts say even cases that previously would not have triggered 221(g) are now being delayed. Joel Yanovich, Attorney at Murthy Law Firm, told ET, “We probably are seeing a higher rate of 221(g) notices. While it’s difficult to quantify, the anecdotal evidence suggests that more people are running into further delays, even after getting in for an appointment.” Some denials appear unprecedented under the current administration. Gnanamookan Senthurjothi, founder of the Visa Code, said, “Since May 2025, we have seen applicants with prior arrest records, which are over a decade old, getting 221(g). This is despite multiple stampings they have done before.” He added that even individuals with valid documents are seeing visas revoked, leaving hundreds of Indians stuck in the country. Xiao Wang, founder of Boundless Immigration, told ET that many applicants are being notified that their visas have been “prudentially revoked” without explanation. He also reported a rise in biometric requests for H-1B applications, which was uncommon previously. “All applications are now taking longer for officers to evaluate, slowing down the entire process. Now that they have to do detailed social media vetting and put every case under additional scrutiny and judgment, each case is taking more time, resulting in longer delays for all applications,” Wang explained. Appointments that were rescheduled have also been pushed back. “We saw mass cancellations of appointments in early December, when many had already departed the US. These appointments were rescheduled initially for March and April but then some were being pushed out as far as November,” he added. Applicants receiving 221(g) notices are now being asked to provide further documents, including toxicology reports and police records. While this represents a step forward in processing, Senthurjothi said hundreds of Indians remain affected.