A major expansion of its digital-vetting process affecting hundreds of thousands of H-1B workers and their H-4 dependents was recently announced by the State Department.
H-1B Workers Need To Make Social Media Profile Public
As per this latest updatethe H-1B and H-4 visa applicants must set their social media profiles to the public so consular officers can examine online activity as part of the application review starting Dec. 15, 2025.
The routine social-media screening primarily applied to student and exchange visitor categories (F, M, and J) till now.
It appears that this new guidance brings H-1B workers and their spouses under the same level of scrutiny.
Moving ahead, the State Department said it “uses all available information in visa screening and vetting,” and added that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” during its announcement.
What Will Change?
The consular officers will now have to conduct expanded security reviews as per this new guidance.
Under this, they will do more detailed employment verification, closer scrutiny of work arrangements and job duties.
They also need to have additional background checks, a full online presence review, including social-media activity.
To make this happen, the applicants must adjust privacy settings to the public across all social media platforms.
With the help of this implementation, the officers can evaluate profiles for “potentially derogatory information,” said the State Department.
This evaluation includes, Signs of hostility toward the U.S., Support for unlawful antisemitic violence or harassment, Advocacy for, or support of, terrorism or other national-security threats.
It’s not new as the consular officers have sometimes reviewed social media in past cases.
But, this is the first time the State Department has formally required H-1B and H-4 applicants to make their profiles public.
Affecting Student (F, M) and Exchange Visitor (J) Applicants
These latest updates will also affect the Student (F, M) and exchange visitor (J) applicants who have already been subject to social-media reviews, and the State Department confirmed that requirement will remain in place.
Although, the expanded vetting “may extend processing timelines,” said the agency.
That is why, the employers should prepare for longer visa-stamping delays, increased requests for additional documentation and more frequent administrative processing tied to digital-vetting checks.
The scenario will be especially relevant during peak travel periods or when employees need to renew visas while abroad.
In order to be prepared for this evaluation, the employers and workers should confirm that their social-media profiles are set to public before your visa interview.
They should also review their accounts for outdated, inaccurate, or misinterpreted content and be prepared to explain inconsistencies between online information and their application.
The employers also need to prepare their workers for additional interview questions related to online activity.
They also need to build flexibility into international-travel timelines and need to reach out to their legal team if an employee’s case is delayed because of a social-media review.
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