H-1B visa holders travelling outside the United States are facing growing uncertainty over their ability to return, as visa appointment delays and policy changes disrupt immigration processes at US embassies and consulates worldwide.
Business immigration lawyer Tahmina Watson, founder of Watson Immigration Law, has cautioned non-immigrant workers to return to the US immediately if they hold a valid visa stamp. She said her firm is seeing increasing numbers of H-1B workers stranded abroad due to rescheduled or delayed visa appointments.
“I’m seeing immigration disruptions with immediate consequences, including H-1B visa holders who are outside the US being uncertain if they can return,” Watson told Business Insider.
According to her, US embassies and consulates are experiencing coordinated appointment delays, with interviews being pushed several months — and in some cases, into mid-2026. Many workers had scheduled visa appointments during holiday travel, only to find their interviews rescheduled long after they had already left the US.
Holiday travel turns risky for visa holders
Traditionally, non-immigrant visa holders attend stamping interviews in their home country while using accumulated leave. However, Watson said this year’s delays have made international travel particularly risky.
“These employees are now getting stuck, having already left the US, with their appointments getting rescheduled for June, July, or August 2026, and beyond,” she said.
Tech companies issue travel advisories
Amid the uncertainty, major US technology firms including Google, Apple, and Microsoft have reportedly issued internal advisories asking visa-holding employees to avoid non-essential international travel.
Watson highlighted several compounding challenges: visa-stamping backlogs, expanded vetting, unpredictable rescheduling, and the absence of guarantees once an appointment is deferred.
“If somebody is outside the country, what are employers supposed to do? The answer is: return to the US as soon as possible,” she said.
New visa stamp applicants face tougher path
For workers who left the US specifically to obtain a new visa stamp, Watson said the path back is unclear. The situation also affects F-1 student visa holders who travelled abroad and now require consular stamping to re-enter the US.
“They will need that visa stamp from a consulate,” she said, adding that delays could jeopardise their academic and employment plans.
Job security emerges as major risk
Beyond immigration hurdles, Watson warned that job continuity is becoming a critical concern. Employees stuck abroad risk losing their positions if employers are unable to accommodate prolonged absences.
“If an employer decides they cannot keep someone on the books, even an appointment months from now will not help if there’s no job waiting,” she said.
Policy changes add to uncertainty
The situation is further complicated by multiple policy shifts, including the US Department of Homeland Security’s proposal to replace the H-1B visa lottery system with a wage- and skill-based selection process. Watson said overlapping policy changes are creating confusion across the immigration system.
“It’s tough to know how things will unfold. What we’re seeing is a confluence of policies coming in at the same time,” she noted.
Expanded social media vetting raises concerns
Watson also flagged the expansion of social media scrutiny, which initially targeted student visas but now applies to H-1B applicants as well. Applicants are reportedly required to make their social media profiles public, with little clarity on what criteria officials are reviewing.
“The government has not provided clear guidance on what they are reviewing,” she said, warning that broad vetting without transparency is fuelling anxiety among immigrants, employers, and investors.
As immigration policies continue to evolve, Watson said uncertainty has become the defining feature of the system. “It feels like a fire hose of policies. Everyone in the immigrant ecosystem is on high alert,” she said.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
