New US Policy Requires H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants to Make Social Media Profiles Public for Enhanced Security Screening

US Orders H-1B, H-4 Visa Applicants To Make Social Media Profiles Public

Starting December 15, US will review online presence for all H-1B applicants and their dependents.

New York/Washington:

The US government has implemented expanded screening measures for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, requiring them to maintain public privacy settings on all social media profiles.

According to a directive issued Wednesday, the State Department announced that beginning December 15, authorities will conduct comprehensive reviews of online presence for all H-1B applicants and their dependents.

This level of scrutiny, previously applied only to students and exchange visitors, now extends to those seeking H-1B and H-4 visas.

"To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'," stated the State Department.

The department emphasized that a US visa represents a privilege rather than a right, explaining that they utilize all available information for screening to identify inadmissible applicants or those potentially threatening America's national security or public safety.

"Every visa adjudication is a national security decision," the department declared.

Officials noted that the US "must be vigilant" to ensure applicants harbor no intent to harm Americans and that all visa applicants credibly demonstrate eligibility and intention to comply with their admission terms.

This directive represents the latest in a series of measures by the Trump administration aimed at tightening immigration regulations.

The administration has initiated a substantial crackdown addressing potential abuses of the H-1B visa program, which US technology companies predominantly use to employ foreign workers.

Indian professionals, particularly tech workers and physicians, constitute one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders.

In September, US President Donald Trump issued a proclamation titled 'Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,' imposing a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B work visas, potentially creating significant impact for Indian workers seeking temporary US employment.

Additionally, Washington has implemented an immediate pause on Green Card, US citizenship, and other immigration applications for individuals from 19 "countries of concern," following the shooting of National Guard soldiers by an Afghan national.

A policy memorandum issued Tuesday instructs the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to "place on hold," effective immediately, all asylum applications regardless of the immigrant's nationality, pending comprehensive review.

This pause extends to all immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries previously subject to the administration's travel ban.

These countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The directive states that applications will remain on hold "pending a comprehensive review, regardless of entry date."

This guidance follows the shooting of US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and US Air Force Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24.

During a Thanksgiving call with service members, Trump announced that Beckstrom had succumbed to her injuries, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

The suspect, Lakanwal, 29, had entered the US through 'Operation Allies Welcome,' a Biden-era program designed for Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban takeover in 2021.