The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced that, as of December 15, 2025, consular officers will expand their “online presence review” to all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, in addition to F, M, and J student and exchange visitor applicants already subject to this additional review.

To facilitate this screening, DOS is now instructing applicants in these visa categories to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.” DOS will be reviewing applicants’ social media profiles 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.”

The DOS also directed all Consular Officers to review the resumes and LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants and accompanying family members to determine whether they have engaged in work involving misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, online safety, or related activities. DOS instructs that if Consular Officers identify evidence that an applicant participated in or was complicit in censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, they should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible for the requested visa.

H-1B and H-4 visa applicants are advised to review their social media presence for posts or engagements which might be flagged during an officer’s review. Applicants should also prepare for longer visa appointment wait times and potential delays in the processing of their visa due to administrative processing and enhanced vetting.

The immigration attorneys at Ryan Swanson are available to help prepare visa applicants for consular interviews and discuss travel considerations.