H-4, L-2 and F-2 Visa Stamping in India 2026: Appointments, Dropbox, 221(g) and Travelling Separately

H-4, L-2 and F-2 Stamping in India - 2026 Quick Answer

Spouses and children of H-1B, L-1 and F-1 holders get H-4, L-2 or F-2 visas at the US Embassy or consulates in India. They can apply with the principal or later, to "follow to join" a principal already in the US.

There is no dropbox for dependents in 2026. Since 1 October 2025, spouses and children of any age should expect an in-person interview, and everyone aged 14 to 79 gives fingerprints.

H-4 and L-2 cases rest on proving a genuine marriage or parent-child relationship, with no need to show a home in India. For F-2, the officer also checks that the spouse or child will leave the US when the F-1 programme ends.

As of October 2026 the fee is $205 for H-4 and L-2 and $185 for F-2, per person, children included. Visarun helps families prepare DS-160 forms and check the dependent documents. The consular officer decides, and no agency can guarantee a slot or an outcome.

Booking a Dependent Appointment - Alone or With the Principal

A spouse or child living in India books in India, as the US Mission asks applicants to schedule in their country of residence or nationality. Every family member needs a separate DS-160. The "family or group application" option only copies some answers, such as the destination, into the next person's form.

Each person pays their own non-refundable MRV fee. At the Mission's rate of Rs 98 per dollar, in force since 25 May 2026, $205 comes to about Rs 20,090 and $185 to about Rs 18,130. Check the rate on the day you pay. The receipt stays valid for 365 days for scheduling.

Together or follow to join

When a spouse applies with the principal, the officer evaluates both together. The principal's eligibility is enough to establish the spouse's, provided the relationship is genuine.

A spouse or child can also apply after the principal has moved to the US. The officer then needs to be satisfied that the principal is maintaining H, L or F status. A visa stamp in the principal's passport is not required, for example after a change to H-1B inside the US.

F-2 joiners get a closer look. The officer checks again for intent to leave the US later and for changes in the family's circumstances since the F-1 got their visa.

Wait times as of 21 October 2026

The State Department's forecast of the next available interview was last updated on 21 October 2026. H-4 and L-2 are H and L classes, so the petition-based column is the closest guide:

• New Delhi: 3.5 months
• Mumbai: 2 months
• Chennai: 2.5 months
• Hyderabad: 6.5 months
• Kolkata: 1 month

For F-2, the student column (F, M, J) applies:

• New Delhi: 3 months
• Mumbai: 4 months
• Chennai: 3.5 months
• Hyderabad: 1 month
• Kolkata: 2.5 months

The Department says these figures do not guarantee an appointment in that time. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, one husband in the US expected no H-4 interview for his wife and young child before 2027, and an F-2 applicant found no slot in three months.

The State Department says weddings do not qualify for an expedited appointment, so wedding-season travel needs a regular booking made early. In India, expedite requests are online only, need a confirmed interview date, and slots are very limited.

An L-2 applicant at the Delhi VFS centre reported on Reddit on 21 October 2026 that staff checked the latest DS-160, the appointment confirmation and the passport at the entrance. The applicant advised anyone with several DS-160s to make sure the latest one is marked correctly. Procedures can change.

Dropbox and Interview Waiver Eligibility for Dependents

Short answer: no. H-4, L-2 and F-2 applicants are not eligible for dropbox in 2026, for a first visa or a renewal.

Under the State Department policy in effect since 1 October 2025, all nonimmigrant applicants, including children under 14 and adults over 79, generally need an in-person interview. Waivers remain only for diplomatic and official classes and for B1/B2 and H-2A renewals within 12 months of expiry, under strict conditions. Officers can still call anyone to an interview.

As of October 2026, the US Mission in India says interview waivers are granted only in extreme situations, such as a medical condition that requires an air ambulance. The only waiver route it describes is for renewing a B1/B2 visa issued in India.

Young children

The Foreign Affairs Manual still shows an old interview exemption for children under 14, but the 2025 policy overrides it by naming them directly. Families should be ready for children of any age to appear, with the officer deciding. We could not find Mission India's 2026 instructions on infants, so check its current guidance before the appointment.

Documents Checklist for Spouses and Children

The State Department's list for H and L interviews also covers H-4 and L-2 applicants. As of October 2026 it includes:

• a passport valid at least six months beyond the planned stay
• the DS-160 confirmation page and the fee receipt
• a photo, uploaded in the DS-160
• the principal's petition receipt number from the I-129 or I-797
• for blanket L-2 cases, the principal's Form I-129S

Officers may ask for more. For dependents joining a principal who changed status inside the US, the Foreign Affairs Manual names typical evidence: marriage and birth certificates, a copy of the principal's I-797 approval notice, and I-797s from the dependents' own change-of-status filings.

F-2 extras

• the F-2's own I-20 with a unique SEVIS ID, since a visa cannot be issued on the principal's I-20
• a copy of the F-1's visa and proof of the relationship
• no SEVIS fee, which F-2 dependents do not pay

No official amount of funds is published for an F-2. The school sets the amount for dependents on the I-20, so financial evidence should match it.

Commonly carried, not officially listed

Pay slips, an employment letter, wedding photos and the principal's I-94 are not on the official checklist. Many H-4 and L-2 families carry them anyway, because the State Department expects a temporary worker to show they can support the family.

Marriage and Birth Proof - What Consulates Ask

For H-4 and L-2, the relationship is the core of the case. The presumption of immigrant intent under INA 214(b) applies to these dependents only if they cannot show a genuine relationship to the principal.

A marriage is valid for visa purposes if it was legally performed and recognised where it took place. Any earlier marriage of either spouse has to have been legally ended first.

Indian marriage certificates

The State Department's notes on Indian civil documents, written mainly for immigrant visas, describe a valid marriage record this way:

• registration of all marriages has been mandatory since 2006, under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 or the Special Marriage Act 1954
• a church certificate needs to be registered with the Registrar of Marriages
• for an Islamic marriage, a Nikah Nama or a Waqf Board certificate is enough
• a "Deed of Marriage" or "Marriage Agreement" under the Registration Act 1908 is not proof of marriage

Couples married recently without a Nikah Nama or Waqf Board certificate may want to register before the interview, as a registered certificate is the clearest proof.

Children's birth records

For children, the usual proof is a birth certificate from the municipal authority or the Registrar of Births and Deaths. Where none can be obtained, the same notes describe a certificate of non-availability plus secondary evidence, such as a school-leaving certificate or a notarised affidavit from a parent.

Social Media Disclosure and 221(g)

The DS-160 asks for every social media identifier used on the listed platforms in the past five years. This applies to every applicant, L-2 spouses and children included. An old account used in that window still counts.

In June 2025, as reported by Indian media, the US Embassy said on X that passwords are not required and that applicants with no accounts should select "None". False or misleading answers may lead to permanent refusal, and wilful misrepresentation is a permanent ineligibility. We do not recommend deleting or hiding accounts before an interview.

Who is told to make accounts public

As of October 2026, Mission India instructs H-1B, H-4 dependents of H-1B and F applicants, which covers F-2, to set all accounts to "public". L-1 and L-2 are not on that list, and the State Department's update of 18 September 2026 did not add them. Recheck before the interview.

Law firms noted in September 2026 that the review standard is unpublished and, in their reading, derogatory content could bring extra screening, delays or refusal.

What a 221(g) means

A 221(g) means the officer lacked information to find the applicant eligible. Either documents are missing, and the letter lists them, or the case needs administrative processing.

• Applicants have one year to send what was requested, after which a new application and fee are needed.
• Except in emergencies, the State Department asks applicants to wait at least 180 days before asking about status.
• Consular sections across India are closed on 28 October, 18 November and 16 December 2026, including for 221(g) appointments and document drop-off.

A Reddit user reported on 18 October 2026 that his wife's first H-4 interview in Hyderabad on 14 October ended with a 221(g) asking for social media links, with the passport kept. They sent the links within 30 minutes, and the status still showed "refused" when he posted.

Another October Reddit report described a Hyderabad H-1B and H-4 couple given a similar slip on 15 September and issued visas two days later. Outcomes vary, so follow the steps on your own 221(g) letter.

Children Born in the US and Children Turning 21

A child born in the US

A child born on US soil is a US citizen, even if the parents held H-1B, H-4, L or F status. On 30 June 2026 the Supreme Court confirmed this in Trump v. Barbara, holding that the Fourteenth Amendment covers children of parents who are temporarily present.

Such a child travels on a US passport, not an H-4, L-2 or F-2 visa. In India, a child under 16 cannot renew a US passport. It is a new DS-11 application in person, by appointment, with both parents or a consent form from the absent parent.

Fingerprints and forms

Fingerprints are taken from age 14 to 79, and in limited cases from age 7. A parent or guardian can sign the DS-160 for a child under 16.

Turning 21 or marrying

A "child" in US immigration law is unmarried and under 21. A son or daughter who turns 21 or marries no longer qualifies as a dependent and needs their own status, such as F-1 for full-time study. We recommend planning that change with an immigration attorney well before the birthday.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• June 2025: online presence review began for F, M and J applicants.
• 1 October 2025: interview waivers narrowed to diplomatic classes and B1/B2 and H-2A renewals, and the under-14 and over-79 exemptions ended.
• 15 December 2025: the review was extended to H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents. According to a law firm's summary of the Embassy's post on X, Mission India rescheduled H-1B and H-4 interviews by email.
• 25 May 2026: Mission India's fee exchange rate rose from Rs 96 to Rs 98 per dollar.
• 30 June 2026: Trump v. Barbara confirmed citizenship for US-born children of parents temporarily in the US.
• 18 September 2026: the State Department's review list named F-2 and H-4 dependents of H-1B and added I, TN and TD from 1 October. L-2 was not added.
• 21 October 2026: a new wait-time table replaced the September edition.

FAQ

Can my spouse get an H-4 visa if I don't have an H-1B stamp?

It is possible if you are in the US and maintaining H-1B status, for example after a change of status. The officer checks this, and a copy of your I-797 approval notice is typical evidence.

Do children under 14 need a US visa interview in India?

Generally yes, since 1 October 2025. The officer decides each case.

How much is the H-4 visa fee in India?

As of October 2026, $205 for H-4 and L-2 (about Rs 20,090) and $185 for F-2 (about Rs 18,130), per person.

Can a spouse visit on a B-2 visa instead of H-4?

Only for a short trip, and only if they qualify as a visitor, which includes showing a home abroad.

Does an L-2 spouse need to make social media public?

Not as of 18 September 2026. The DS-160 still asks every L-2 applicant for identifiers used in the last five years.

Can an H-4, L-2 or F-2 spouse work in the US?

H-4 spouses can work only with an H-4 EAD once the H-1B has started the green card process. L-2 spouses are work-authorised with L-2S status, while L-2 children are not. F-2 dependents cannot work.

My H-4 change of status is pending. Can I travel to India for stamping?

USCIS generally treats a pending change-of-status I-539 as abandoned if you leave the US before a decision, with some exceptions. For a pending extension or EAD, check with your immigration attorney.

How long is an H-4 or L-2 visa valid?

Usually as long as the principal's petition, up to 35 months under India's reciprocity schedule. F-2 visas can run up to 60 months.

Can a dependent appointment be expedited for a wedding?

No. The State Department says wedding travel does not qualify, so book a regular appointment early.