US begins social media vetting for H-1B, H-4 visa applicants today: Here's all Indians need to know

The United States has rolled out enhanced screening for H-1B work visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, starting today, i.e., December 15, extending mandatory social media scrutiny to skilled foreign workers and their families. The move, part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown.

Under a new directive, the US State Department announced that it will review the online presence of all H-1B applicants, as well as those applying for H-4 dependent visas. Until now, compulsory social media screening has largely been applied to international students and exchange visitors. The latest change requires high-skilled workers and their dependents to undergo the same level of vetting.

The department stated that applicants will now be required to make their social media profiles publicly accessible, enabling background checks by US officials.

“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’,” the department said.

‘Visa is a privilege, not a right’

The State Department underlined that visa issuance is a discretionary process tied to national security considerations.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the department said.

“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,” it added.

Officials said they rely on “all available information” to identify applicants who may be inadmissible, including those who could pose risks to national security or public safety.

“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,” the department said, adding that applicants must clearly establish their intent to comply with visa conditions.

Impact on Indian professionals

The directive is expected to significantly affect Indian nationals, who form one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders. The programme is widely used by US technology companies and healthcare providers to recruit skilled professionals such as software engineers and doctors.

The development comes amid disruptions in visa processing. Following the postponement of H-1B visa interviews in India, some H-1B and H-4 visa holders in the US reportedly received emails from consulates informing them that their temporary work visas had been “prudentially revoked”.

Part of a wider immigration clampdown

The expanded screening fits into a broader tightening of US immigration policy under President Donald Trump. In September, Trump issued a proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, calling it an initial step towards overhauling the H-1B programme. Under that order, the administration announced a one-time fee of $100,000 for new H-1B visas, a move likely to weigh heavily on Indian professionals seeking US jobs.