H-1B Stamping Appointments in India: What to Check When No Dates Show

Why are H-1B stamping dates hard to find in India?

Three documented changes since September 2025 affect H-1B stamping in India: the end of third-country processing on September 6, 2025, a narrower interview-waiver list from October 1, 2025, and the online presence review for H-1B and H-4 applicants from December 15, 2025. WaitDelta has not measured how much each contributes.

• September 6, 2025. Applicants are expected to interview in their country of nationality or residence, which ended third-country stamping for most applicants (Faegre Drinker).
• October 1, 2025. The interview-waiver list does not include ordinary H-1B renewals (State Department).
• December 15, 2025. The online presence review began for H-1B and H-4 applicants (Wolfsdorf Rosenthal). Consular posts in India then rescheduled many H-1B and H-4 interviews, often by several months (Morgan Lewis, December 11, 2025).

The online presence review covers more than H-1B and H-4. Read which visa types social media vetting covers for the full list.

What can you do if your booking account shows no date?

Check every post your booking account offers, look again at intervals, request an expedited appointment if your circumstances meet the post's conditions, and ask your employer's immigration team what support applies. A published estimate cannot show open dates, so your booking account is the only reliable source.

1. Check each post. The account lists which posts offer your visa class, and open dates differ by post (booking guide).
2. Look again later. Availability changes over time, so a post with no date today can show one later.
3. Consider an expedited request. The consulate decides, approval is discretionary, and the conditions are the post's (booking guide).
4. Ask your employer. Employers can tell you what support, documents or counsel they provide.
5. Avoid paid promises. Do not pay anyone for a guaranteed date.

Is third-country stamping still possible for H-1B?

For most applicants, no. Since September 6, 2025, nonimmigrant visa applicants are expected to schedule interviews in their country of nationality or residence. Law-firm alerts describe narrow exceptions, so ask counsel before booking anywhere else.

Faegre Drinker reports that applicants who book a third-country interview forfeit the fees paid and cannot transfer the appointment (Faegre Drinker, September 17, 2025). Morgan Lewis reports that many posts have suspended third-country processing or limited it to urgent humanitarian or diplomatic cases (Morgan Lewis).

Who can answer questions about status, work and pay while you wait?

Your employer's immigration counsel or a licensed immigration attorney. Whether you can work from India, how a delay affects your status and what your employer must do are case-specific questions that WaitDelta cannot answer.

Keep your petition approval notice, your booking confirmation and any messages from the consulate together. They are the records a lawyer or your employer's immigration team will ask for.

WaitDelta is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the U.S. government. This page describes documented changes. It is not legal advice. For your own case, consult a licensed immigration attorney.

What are the key takeaways?

Dates are scarce for documented reasons, the booking account is the only source of open dates, third-country stamping is closed for most applicants, and status questions belong with counsel.

• The documented changes since September 2025 are a policy and process shift, not a WaitDelta measurement.
• A published estimate cannot show open dates; your booking account can.
• Do not rely on a third-country interview unless counsel confirms an exception.
• Read the booking guide for waivers, rescheduling and expedited requests.

The full steps are in H-1B stamping in India: Booking and interview rules. For the PERM announcement and booked interviews, read Does the PERM suspension affect H-1B interviews in India?.

Changes to this page

• October 9, 2026. Rewrote this page. Removed the statements that all five consulates showed no availability, the projected reopening date, the stranded-worker and success-rate figures, the third-country option and the remote-work and financial sections, because none could be supported by a source WaitDelta can cite.

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