An Indian Forest Service officer has drawn widespread attention on social media after sharing a striking video of a highly venomous snake encountered during a night patrol. The clip, posted on X by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan, shows a banded krait gliding through running water in the darkness
H-1B Visa Applicants Asked To Reschedule Appointments As Social Media Vetting Begins From Dec 15
H-1B Visa Applicants Asked To Reschedule Appointments As Social Media Vetting Begins From Dec 15
The ongoing process over the US State Department's new social media vetting policy triggered a widespread disruption for H-1B visa applicants in India, with many reporting the cancellation of previously scheduled visa appointments. It has been learnt that the interviews that are affected were scheduled on or after December 15.
The applicants are being instructed to reschedule their visa interviews, CNBC reported.
The cancellations are speculated to be linked to the rollout of the latest policy that requires consular officers to review applicants' online presence, including their social media activity. This additional requirement has reduced the number of appointments available, causing significant inconvenience for applicants.
In view of this, a US business immigration attorney James Hollis voiced his frustration on LinkedIn, criticising both the timing and the impact of the policy change, which coincides with the holiday period when many Indian nationals return home to complete visa formalities.
“I'm shaking my head about the reports coming out about H-1B visa appointment cancellations in India. The reports are that there have been a significant number of appointments cancelled, and applicants have been directed to reschedule the visa interview aspect of the appointment, with ASC appointments initially remaining the same. The affected appointments are on or after 15 December 2025, and applicants who are impacted are receiving emails from the post indicating that they should reschedule," Hollis wrote.
He added, “The reasoning for the cancellations is that the new social media vetting policy requires implementation time and review time for the posts, and the posts have had to reduce their available appointments to accommodate the change."
A business immigration attorney, Pamela Rangel, also noted that the State Department is expanding social media vetting to H-1B applicants from mid-December, adding further complexity to an already unpredictable visa stamping process.
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The US State Department has recently confirmed that all H-1B workers and their H-4 dependents will be subject to social media screening as of 15 December. Applicants will be required to switch their social media accounts to “public" settings to allow scrutiny.
Source: News18
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An Indian Forest Service officer has drawn widespread attention on social media after sharing a striking video of a highly venomous snake encountered during a night patrol. The clip, posted on X by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan, shows a banded krait gliding through running water in the darkness
2 months ago
