No More H-1B Slots in 2026: Visa Holders Stranded

H-1B Visa Slots Remain Unavailable

For the past few months, Indians booking H-1B slots have only seen the No Slots Available message. This has been true for all of the five consulates across India.

The latest update is from a user on Reddit, who shows the Hyderabad Consulate to be out of slots as well. This situation has been causing immense frustrations for thousands who remain stranded in India, unable to get back to work in the US.

Immigration lawyers have reported a near-total lack of regular slots for the rest of 2026. Consulate calendars have now rolled over to 2027 when showing available slots.

This crisis began in December 2025 when interviews were abruptly cancelled. While the cancelled interviews were rescheduled to this year, no new slots have opened.

There is no clarity on when, if at all, new slots will appear this year. The State Department portal shows no slots available for many visa types, including O, H, and L visas.

The major reason for this is the mandatory social media screening introduced in December 2025. That rule change also ended third-country visa stamping for Indians.

The State Department has confirmed that they are not focused on new petitions, instead focusing on existing cases.

This situation has left many H-1B holders who were visiting home to be left stranded in India. Those who planned to visit India are also now reconsidering, as there is no guarantee they’ll be able to return to the US.