The U.S. State Department announced that starting December 15, H-1B visa applicants will be required to make their social media profiles public for visa vetting purposes. This new policy represents one of the most extensive expansions of digital scrutiny applied to foreign workers, allowing consular officers to review the online activity of applicants in the H-1B specialty occupation category, as well as their H-4 dependents.
The directive, which is part of a series of measures designed to enhance national security, mandates that applicants adjust their privacy settings to “public” across all social media platforms. As a result, visa officers will have the ability to access posts, connections, employment details, and other digital activities related to the applicants. This thorough vetting extends an existing practice previously applied to certain foreign students and exchange visitors.
A spokesperson for the State Department emphasized that obtaining a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right, asserting the department’s commitment to ensuring that applicants do not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States. While the spokesperson refrained from commenting on reports regarding additional vetting criteria, they confirmed that this policy will apply to applicants from all nationalities.
This latest measure is part of a broader restructuring of the H-1B visa system initiated during President Donald Trump’s administration. A significant step in this overhaul was the signing of an executive order in September that imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. This particular move has caused considerable concern among tech industry giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, which heavily rely on international talent for roles in engineering, software development, and biotech, among other fields.
The changes have sparked considerable debate and legal challenges, as many argue that the administration lacks the authority to implement such fees and restrictions. As the situation continues to evolve, many stakeholders in the technology sector and beyond remain watchful of how these new requirements will affect the recruitment of skilled foreign workers in the U.S. labor market.