US tells H-1B, H-4 visa applicants to make social media profiles public
PTC Web Desk: The US government has introduced stricter scrutiny for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, directing them to ensure that all their social media accounts are set to public visibility as part of an expanded security review.
In a directive issued on Wednesday, the US State Department announced that, starting December 15, consular officers will conduct detailed reviews of the online presence of all individuals applying for H-1B and H-4 visas. Until now, such checks were routinely applied to student (F and M) and exchange visitor (J) categories.
“To support enhanced vetting, all applicants for H-1B, H-4, and F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas must adjust privacy settings on all social media profiles to ‘public’,” the department said in its guidance.
Reiterating that obtaining a US visa is a privilege and not an entitlement, the State Department stressed that it uses every available source of information to determine whether an applicant poses a security risk or fails to meet admissibility requirements.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” it stated.
The department added that the US must remain “vigilant” in ensuring applicants have no intent to harm Americans and can credibly establish both eligibility and compliance with visa terms.
This directive expands a series of immigration-tightening measures rolled out by the Trump administration, which has been pushing for more rigorous checks and stricter rules around temporary work visas. The H-1B programme, heavily used by the American tech industry, has been a key focus, with Indian professionals making up a significant share of visa holders.
In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, introducing a one-time USD 100,000 fee on new H-1B work visas, a move expected to directly impact thousands of Indian workers.
In a separate development, Washington has halted the processing of Green Cards, citizenship applications and other immigration benefits for individuals from 19 ‘countries of concern’. The decision follows the fatal shooting of National Guard soldiers by an Afghan national earlier this month.
A policy memo issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has ordered an immediate hold on all asylum applications, regardless of nationality, pending a detailed internal review. It has also frozen all immigration files belonging to applicants from countries earlier listed under the federal travel ban, including Afghanistan, Burma, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, and others.
The suspension comes after the attack that killed US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left US Air Force Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, critically injured. The accused, 29-year-old Lakanwal, had entered the US under Operation Allies Welcome, a relocation initiative for Afghan nationals implemented following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
- With inputs from agencies
