Confusion and last-minute travel upheavals swept through US visa applicants this week as a new social-media vetting policy of the US State Department triggered widespread disruptions for H1-B visa applicants in India. Numerous appointments scheduled in December have now been postponed to next year.

The US Embassy in India issued an advisory on Tuesday night on X, saying, “If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date.”

“Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate,” the Embassy added.

The disruption comes amid Washington’s intensified social-media vetting policy, which requires applicants to

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