In a memo released 5 December and circulating among U.S. consulates worldwide, the Department of State expanded its ‘online-presence screening’ program to cover all H-1B professionals and their H-4 dependants. Beginning 15 December 2025, visa applicants in these two categories must set every social-media account linked to their identity—Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit and niche forums—to a ‘public’ privacy setting for the duration of the visa adjudication.
Consular officers will compare posts, employment histories and group affiliations against data in the DS-160 application, underlying USCIS petitions and security-agency watchlists. Any discrepancies can trigger security advisory opinions or administrative processing. The policy mirrors similar rules already applied to F, M and J students since September but marks the first time employment-based non-immigrant workers are subject to blanket public-profile disclosure.
![Social-media profiles must be made public for H-1B and H-4 visa interviews, State Department says]()
Privacy advocates argue the rule forces families to expose children’s photos and personal milestones to the open web, creating risks of identity theft and harassment. Immigration counsel report frantic calls from Indian and Chinese assignees—who make up over 70 percent of H-1B holders—asking whether to delete political memes or jokes about U.S. politics before switching settings.
For employers, the change means longer lead times for outbound assignments and possible project delays if workers face 221(g) holds while posts are analysed. Companies are updating travel policies to advise H-1B staff to avoid non-essential travel after 15 December and to conduct a ‘social-media audit’ at least two weeks before any visa appointment. Some are offering professional scrub-and-archive services as an employee benefit.
Consular officials defend the move as a low-cost way to detect fraud and national-security red flags. Yet former State Department visa chiefs note that bad actors can easily delete incriminating content, while innocent applicants may be penalised for sarcasm or cultural misunderstandings.
Consular officers will compare posts, employment histories and group affiliations against data in the DS-160 application, underlying USCIS petitions and security-agency watchlists. Any discrepancies can trigger security advisory opinions or administrative processing. The policy mirrors similar rules already applied to F, M and J students since September but marks the first time employment-based non-immigrant workers are subject to blanket public-profile disclosure.
Privacy advocates argue the rule forces families to expose children’s photos and personal milestones to the open web, creating risks of identity theft and harassment. Immigration counsel report frantic calls from Indian and Chinese assignees—who make up over 70 percent of H-1B holders—asking whether to delete political memes or jokes about U.S. politics before switching settings.
For employers, the change means longer lead times for outbound assignments and possible project delays if workers face 221(g) holds while posts are analysed. Companies are updating travel policies to advise H-1B staff to avoid non-essential travel after 15 December and to conduct a ‘social-media audit’ at least two weeks before any visa appointment. Some are offering professional scrub-and-archive services as an employee benefit.
Consular officials defend the move as a low-cost way to detect fraud and national-security red flags. Yet former State Department visa chiefs note that bad actors can easily delete incriminating content, while innocent applicants may be penalised for sarcasm or cultural misunderstandings.
