The U.S. Department of State has announced that, effective December 15, 2025, it will expand mandatory “online presence” reviews — i.e. social-media vetting — to include all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents.
Under the new rule:
All H-1B and H-4 applicants must set every social-media profile (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, etc.) to public, in order to allow consular officers to review posts, activity, networks and other publicly available content.
The “online presence review” was previously applied to student (F, M) and exchange-visitor (J) visa categories — this is the first time it is being formally extended to employment-based visas.
Why (according to U.S. officials)
The DOS frames the expansion as part of national-security screening: every visa adjudication is considered a “national security decision.” The review aims to help identify visa applicants who may pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety, or whose online presence raises concerns about their intent or credibility.
The department emphasized that visa approval is a privilege, not a right.
What might be examined
Although the full adjudication standards are not public, based on earlier screening protocols (for student/exchange visas), consular officers may review:
Public posts and social-media activity for political, ideological, or extremist content.
Employment history and online work-related presence (for example, LinkedIn profiles). This is especially relevant for applicants in fields such as content moderation, misinformation/disinformation, compliance, online safety, or other roles involving digital content oversight.
Consistency between the applicant’s visa application data (like DS-160 or petition details) and their social-media/work history.
If anything concerning is found, possible consequences include visa refusal, additional background checks or administrative processing delays.
What this means for applicants
Applicants should make sure their social-media profiles are public before their visa interview or application processing.
It’s wise to review and possibly clean up any content that could be interpreted negatively (controversial posts, political views, extremist-leaning content, contradictory employment history, etc.).
Applicants should ensure consistency between their visa application, resume / employment history, and what’s visible online.
Expect possible delays in visa adjudication — more cases may go into additional processing, especially if online presence requires deeper scrutiny