Indians continue to get 221(g) notices as US Visa refusals mount amid scrutiny on social media

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• US visa delays for Indians increase due to stricter checks and social media scrutiny
• More applicants face 221(g) notices, leading to delays and rescheduled appointments.
• Valid visa holders face revocations or delays despite proper documentation.

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Indian applicants seeking US visas are increasingly facing prolonged delays as American authorities intensify background checks, including deeper scrutiny of social media activity and past arrest records. The stricter vetting has led to a sharp rise in temporary refusals under Section 221(g), particularly affecting India, the United States’ largest visa revenue-generating market.

Over the past year, a growing number of applicants have received 221(g) notices, which allow consular officers to place visa applications on hold while additional verification is carried out. The trend has accelerated since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025 and moved to tighten visa norms. Indians, who made up more than 70 percent of H-1B visa recipients in the 2024 financial year, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data, are among those most impacted.

Although Section 221(g) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act has long existed, immigration experts say cases that would earlier have cleared without issue are now facing extended scrutiny. Joel Yanovich, an attorney at Murthy Law Firm, told ET, “We probably are seeing a higher rate of 221(g) notices. While it’s difficult to quantify, the anecdotal evidence suggests that more people are running into further delays, even after getting in for an appointment.”

Some outcomes under the current administration are being described as unusual. Gnanamookan Senthurjothi, founder of the Visa Code, said applicants with old legal records are being flagged. “Since May 2025, we have seen applicants with prior arrest records, which are over a decade old, getting 221(g). This is despite multiple stampings they have done before,” he said. Senthurjothi added that even applicants with complete and valid documentation have seen their visas revoked, leaving hundreds of Indians stranded in the country.

Xiao Wang, founder of Boundless Immigration, told ET that many applicants are being informed that their visas have been “prudentially revoked” without any clear explanation. He also noted an increase in biometric requests for H-1B applicants, a practice that was previously rare. “All applications are now taking longer for officers to evaluate, slowing down the entire process. Now that they have to do detailed social media vetting and put every case under additional scrutiny and judgment, each case is taking more time, resulting in longer delays for all applications,” Wang said.

Scheduling disruptions have compounded the problem. Wang said appointments were cancelled in large numbers in early December, even for applicants who had already left the US. “We saw mass cancellations of appointments in early December, when many had already departed the US. These appointments were rescheduled initially for March and April but then some were being pushed out as far as November,” he added.

Applicants who receive 221(g) notices are now being asked to submit additional paperwork, including toxicology reports and police clearance records. While these requests indicate that applications are still being processed, Senthurjothi said the impact remains significant, with hundreds of Indian applicants continuing to face uncertainty.