LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5693
ANSWERED ON- 27/03/2026
VISA APPOINTMENTS
5693. SMT. JUNE MALIAH
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the U.S. Secretary of State has directed halting any increase in visa appointment capacity until 'social media vetting' systems are installed, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the steps taken by the Government to protect this privacy-violating barrier that disproportionately harms Indian applicants; and
(c) whether it is true that a former US representative claimed that a single Indian district allegedly secured 2.5 times the total H-1B caps, insinuating a 'scam', if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a to c) The U.S. Government, through the Department of State’s public notifications dated 18th June and 3rd December 2025, respectively, expanded its screening and vetting procedures which required H-1B visa applicants and their dependents (H-4) to adjust the privacy settings of their social media profiles to "public.”
The U.S. Government’s stated position is that every visa adjudication is a national security decision and that a U.S. visa is a privilege and not a right. The objective of the recent notifications was said to be to curb visa abuses, protect the American worker, and to identify visa applicants who may be inadmissible to the United States. Subsequently, the consular appointments of several H-1B and H-4 visa applicants scheduled in December 2025 were rescheduled to new dates in 2026, resulting in many applicants remaining in India.
The H-1B visa programme is governed by U.S. laws and procedures, and the issuance of such visas is subject to due processes carried out by the competent U.S. authorities – the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for visa adjudications within the United States or the relevant U.S. Embassy / Consulate for visa adjudications overseas. The relatively high number of Indian nationals in the H-1B visa programme reflects the demand-driven nature of the U.S. labour market, particularly in high-skill sectors such as technology and engineering, and the availability of a large pool of qualified Indian professionals.
Government of India remains engaged with the U.S. Government to promote mutually advantageous and secure frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel.
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