The United States Embassy and all US Consulates in India will remain closed for three consecutive days from Wednesday, December 24 to Friday, December 26, 2025, according to an official notification issued by the US Mission India. The closure is in accordance with a presidential executive order ordering the closure of executive departments and federal government agencies in the United States on these dates. As a result, normal consular services will not be available during this period.
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“US Embassies and Consulates in India will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, 2025, to Friday, December 26, 2025, in accordance with the Presidential Executive Order, which provides for the closure of executive departments and agencies of the federal government on these days. Routine consular services will not be available on these days,” the embassy said on X.
This means services such as visa interviews, passport processing, document verification and other non-emergency consular operations will remain suspended at all US diplomatic missions across India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
The announcement comes at a time when visa processing timelines are already under pressure due to expanded screening procedures and increased scrutiny of nonimmigrant visas, including the H-1B, H-4, F-1 and J-1 categories. Applicants with scheduled appointments during the cut-off period are expected to receive rescheduling instructions through official channels.
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US authorities advised applicants to plan their visa-related travel and activities accordingly, especially those facing urgent schedules for employment, education or travel. Emergency services for US citizens may remain available on a limited basis, but normal services will not resume until operations reopen.
What did the US Embassy in India say earlier?
The US Embassy in India had earlier asked visa applicants not to visit consular offices based on a pre-scheduled interview date.
It said, “If you have received an email notifying you that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you with a new appointment date,” adding, “Arrival at a previously scheduled appointment date will result in denial of entry to the embassy or consulate.”
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Many visa applicants shared anonymous posts on social media describing their ordeal. According to ANI, one applicant said, “My H-1B consular appointment in Chennai, originally on December 18, was canceled right after I completed the biometric process on Tuesday and was automatically rescheduled to April 30, 2026.”
Meanwhile, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) April 2025 report showed that Indians make up 71% of visa holders. In July, the State Department said that effective September 2, H-1B visa holders and their H-4 family members would no longer be able to extend their visas in a third country. Later, on September 19, Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, according to a Washington Post report.
