Visa Problems One Of Several Immigration Issues Facing Companies

Problems at U.S. consulates have received less attention than other Trump administration immigration policies. In September 2025, the administration imposed a $100,000 fee on the entry of new H-1B visa holders. In March 2026, the Department of Labor published a proposed rule that will make it more expensive to hire H-1B visa holders and sponsor employment-based immigrants by significantly raising the required prevailing wage. The proposed rule raises required minimum salaries by 21% to 33%, depending on a worker’s experience level.

H-1B temporary visas are often the only way for high-skilled foreign nationals to work in the United States long term. Employers must pay the higher of the actual or prevailing wage paid to U.S. professionals with similar experience and qualifications. Companies recruiting at U.S. universities find that international students account for approximately 75% to 80% of full-time graduate students in AI-related fields, such as computer and information sciences.

The long waits for visa appointments are due to staffing shortages at consulates, requirements added by the administration, including online vetting of social media accounts, and the end of waivers for many visa applicants. The Trump administration also now requires individuals to apply for visas in their country of nationality or residence. The administration also did not resume domestic visa renewals for qualified H-1B visa applicants, a pilot program that operated in 2024.

Analysts question the value of the current social media vetting policy, whose origin appears to be administration officials’ frustration with an inability to deport pro-Palestinian students because such individuals gain more rights after entering the United States.

“A big one for India in particular is the additional workload due to online vetting for H-1Bs, given their H-1B visa population is so large,” said Tiffany Derentz, a partner at BAL, in an interview. “If a manager previously allocated 10 minutes per applicant between visa interview and potential back-office work on an average per applicant basis, now they likely have to increase that number to 20 or more minutes per applicant. That means they have to reduce the number of interviews offered so that the staff can manage the additional back-office work required for each H1B/H4 applicant.”

The burdens employees face go beyond financial. Derentz cites the case of a BAL client, a new mom, stuck outside the United States with her baby and unable since December 2025 to obtain an appointment. Her husband is in the United States, and the baby is having health issues while in India.

“Generally speaking, applicants face a much stricter adjudication environment, which impacts everyone from business visitors and tourists, to students, exchange visitors, and of course, skilled workers and those that employ them in the United States,” said Derentz.

According to the State Department website, “We now provide additional information on the average time nonimmigrant (temporary) visa applicants waited for an interview in the previous month. We also continue to provide the estimated wait time until the next available interview appointment for visitor visas. We update visa wait time information monthly.” If one checks the State Department website for the next available appointment for an H, L, O or Q visa at the U.S. consulate in Chennai, India, it states, “NA—Not available.”