U.S. Department of State Announces Expanded Screening and Vetting for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants

H1-B and H-4 Visa Applicants Must Make Social Media Accounts Public During Visa Process

On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) will implement an enhanced screening procedure to review the online presence of H-1B and H-4 visa applicants. According to a recent DOS policy update, H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents must adjust the privacy settings on all social media accounts to “public” during the visa application process. This policy was applied to student and exchange visitors applying for visas under the F, M, and J categories as of June 18, 2025. The expansion to include H-1B and H-4 visa applicants is part of a larger focus on curbing national security and public safety threats within the U.S. immigration system. Specifically, according to a DOS cable published on June 18, 2025, regarding the expansion of screening procedures for F, M, and J visa applicants, the policy is directed at ensuring that foreign nationals “do not bear hostile attitudes toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States, and that they do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security.” The cable also directed consular officers to vet foreign nationals for antisemitic harassment and violence.

All nonimmigrant visa applicants, regardless of the category they apply under, are required to truthfully disclose and certify all social media accounts used within the previous five years on Form DS-160 when applying for a visa abroad. This includes disclosing the platform used and the user’s social media handle, even if the account is no longer active. Failure to do so may result in the visa’s denial by a consular officer. The expanded vetting procedures add an additional layer to the DOS’s social media screening capabilities by allowing consular officers to assess credibility and inconsistencies in applicants’ responses on Form DS-160.

The DOS policy update does not specify exactly how long an H-1B or H-4 visa applicant must keep their social media profiles set to “public.” However, according to the DOS cable dated June 18, 2025, “vetting” refers to a consular officer’s examination of all aspects of the case, including the applicant’s Form DS-160 responses, supporting evidence and information gathered during a visa interview. This appears to indicate that accounts must be set to “public” at least in advance of an applicant’s visa interview and until the visa is issued. Efforts to limit access to or the visibility of a visa applicant’s online presence may be construed by consular officials as an effort to conceal certain activity. Applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas should ensure that all social media accounts used within the previous five years are properly disclosed on Form DS-160 and made public in advance of their visa interviews to avoid delays in visa adjudication or denial. Applicants who do not make their social media accounts public prior to their visa interviews will be subject to additional administrative processing and reminded to change their account settings to enable the completion of the enhanced vetting procedures.