The State Department announced that as of December 15, it will expand its requirement for an online presence review to all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, according to a notice on the department's travel website. The policy already applied to applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas — covering students and exchange visitors.
To facilitate the vetting, the department instructed all applicants for H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J visas to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to "public." The department said it uses "all available information in visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety."
"Every visa adjudication is a national security decision," the department stated in the announcement. "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."
The department added that "a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right."
The expansion brings the H-1B and H-4 categories under the same social media screening already applied to student and exchange visitor applicants. The department did not specify in the announcement how the review will be conducted or what consequences applicants may face if their profiles are not set to public.
No official response from immigration advocacy groups or legal organizations was included in the source account.
Informational content only, not legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney.