Trump: FIIDS requests that the administration expedite the processing of H-1B visas
Trump: With thousands of highly skilled workers stranded overseas and US industry being disrupted by widespread cancellations and delays in visa appointments, a prominent Indian American policy group has called on the Trump administration to take a more measured approach to expanded social media vetting for H-1B and H-4 visa applicants.
The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) wrote to President Donald J. Trump to express its strong support for the US Department of State’s decision to extend social media screening and online presence to all H-1B and H-4 candidates.
On December 15, the new policy went into force. It is “an essential step in strengthening national security through comprehensive reviews of applicants’ digital footprints to identify potential risks,” according to FIIDS.
FIIDS warned that the new regulations have resulted in “widespread cancellations and rescheduling of visa appointments—pushing many from December 2025 into March 2026 or later,” which has caused “significant disruptions for essential workers and US industry.”
According to the group, thousands of H-1B holders are presently stuck overseas after holiday trips or visa renewals because of consular cancellations; Indian citizens are disproportionately affected.
Indian experts make up “70–75% of approvals,” according to FIIDS’s letter, making them especially susceptible to the unexpected appointment backlog.
Major IT businesses have already started to experience the repercussions, according to the letter.
According to FIIDS, “tech leaders, including Google, Apple, and Microsoft, have issued advisories warning employees against international travel, citing unpredictable delays that could indefinitely halt contributions to critical projects.”
With wider ramifications for US “economic competitiveness, innovation leadership, and global advantage,” the group said that protracted interruptions pose a danger to continuing work in “AI, data platforms, engineering, and other high-impact fields.”
FIIDS emphasized that their worries are about avoiding undue disruption, not about reversing greater inspection.
It recommended that authorities give pre-interview screening for candidates who already have confirmed slots priority, urging the government to “preserve existing scheduled appointments without blanket cancellations.”
Additionally, the organization suggested setting explicit boundaries for further processing delays.
The letter said, “We further suggest capping any post-interview administrative processing at one month to alleviate hardships,” claiming that doing so would enable qualified professionals to return to the United States as soon as possible without jeopardizing security goals.
FIIDS presented their suggestion as aligned with the administration’s overarching policy objectives. It said that the proposed strategy “aligns with your Administration’s goals of robust immigration enforcement alongside a strong, innovation-driven economy fueled by skilled professionals.”
US firms are able to recruit foreign workers in specialized fields under the H-1B visa program. For many years, it has been a vital route for Indian experts in research, technology, engineering, and healthcare to find employment in the US.
Because of the close linkages between the United States and India in terms of high-skilled labor and innovation, India has been the single greatest source nation for H-1B beneficiaries throughout the years.