Starting today: US government expands screening for H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants; says: Every visa adjudication is a national security ...

Following its policy to make US visas stricter, the Donald Trump administration is making the US visa-vetting system tighter. The US State Dept announced recently that all H-1B workers and their H-4 dependents will have to undergo social-media screening. So, starting today (December 15), the US government has expanded its screening and vetting procedures for the applicants of H-1B visa program and their dependent H-4 visas. “As of December 15, the Department will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review. 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,” said the US State Department in a press release.

The State Department has further added that it will use all the available information in visa screening and vetting process in order to identify the visa applicants. “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.”

What is changing for the visa applicants

According to the US Department of State, the new measures include:

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• li1Enhanced background checks for H-1B and H-4 applicants.
• li1Expanded social media reviews, requiring applicants to make privacy settings public for vetting purposes.
• li1Additional scrutiny of employment records and educational qualifications to ensure compliance with visa rules.

Officials emphasised that the changes are designed to strengthen national security while maintaining the integrity of the visa system. “Every visa adjudication is 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. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” added US State Department.

US embassy warning on removing social media information from Visa application

In June this year, the US Embassy in India issued a clear warning for visa applicants. “Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” the embassy said in a post on microblogging site X (previously known as Twitter). The post reminded visa applicants to disclose all social media usernames or handles they’ve used over the past five years while filling out the DS-160 visa application form. “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form” the post read. “Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.”

The requirement is part of broader vetting procedures introduced by the US State Department this year. As part of the updated rules, applicants must list IDs they use on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others. The mandate is also for accounts that are no longer active (from the last five years).