Enhanced Social Media Screening for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants: New Policy Implementation Starting December 15

The F, M and J visas are used by students and exchange visitors to come to the US. (Representational)

New York:

The Trump administration will implement enhanced screening and vetting procedures for H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants starting Monday, including mandatory reviews of their social media profiles.

According to a new directive issued by the State Department, beginning December 15, all H-1B applicants and their dependents will undergo comprehensive online presence evaluations.

This social media vetting requirement, which was previously applicable only to students and exchange visitors, has now been expanded to include H-1B applicants and their H-4 visa dependents.

"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 F, M and J visa categories are utilized by students and exchange visitors entering the United States.

Following this new guideline, numerous H-1B visa holders have had their interviews in India rescheduled to accommodate the social media profile review process. The State Department emphasized that a US visa is a privilege rather than a right, and explained that they utilize all available information during visa screening to identify inadmissible applicants, including those who might pose security or safety threats.

"We conduct thorough vetting of all visa applicants, including online presence review of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications," the department noted, stressing that every visa adjudication represents a national security decision.

"The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission," they further stated.

This directive represents the latest action in the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement efforts. The administration has launched a significant crackdown on H-1B visa program abuse, which companies, particularly in the technology sector, use to employ foreign workers in the United States.

Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, constitute the largest group of H-1B visa holders.

In September this year, Trump issued a proclamation titled 'Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers' as a key initial step toward reforming the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program.

Under this proclamation, the Trump administration announced a one-time fee of USD 100,000 on new H-1B work visas, a measure that could impact Indian professionals seeking employment in the US on these temporary visas.

Washington has also immediately suspended Green Card, US citizenship, and other immigration applications for immigrants from 19 "countries of concern," following a shooting incident involving National Guard soldiers by an Afghan national.

A policy memorandum issued earlier this month directed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to "place on hold," with immediate effect, all asylum applications regardless of the immigrant's nationality, pending a comprehensive review.

These are the same countries that were subject to a travel ban announced by Trump in a proclamation issued in June this year.