Overview
- The embassy posted on X that breaking U.S. law will bring “significant criminal penalties,” echoing the administration’s enforcement posture.
- Consular appointments for H‑1B and H‑4 applicants in India have been widely deferred under enhanced online‑presence vetting, with some interviews pushed to May, and New Delhi says it has raised concerns with Washington.
- ICE said on December 30 that agents a day earlier arrested “the worst of the worst” criminal noncitizens and a DHS spokesperson pledged more such arrests in 2026.
- A $100,000 fee on certain new H‑1B visas remains in place after a December 23 ruling declined to block it, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed an appeal.
- News reports note U.S. missions in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar and China have not issued comparable public warnings.