State Department announces expanded screening and vetting for H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants
The U.S. Department of State announced that, beginning December 15, 2025, it will expand its “online presence review” and screening procedures to all H-1B visa applicants and H-4 dependents. Under this policy:
H-1B and H-4 visa applicants must set all social media profiles to “public” for the duration of the visa application process.
Consular officers will conduct a comprehensive review of an applicant’s publicly available online presence, including social media accounts, to assess eligibility, national security and public safety risks, and compliance with visa criteria.
Impact on Visa Appointments
Consular posts must now complete expanded online presence reviews before interviews, increasing the workload of consular officers and reducing the number of interviews they can conduct each day.
Early reports from U.S. consulates in India indicate that H-1B and H-4 visa interviews scheduled on or after December 15, 2025 have been rescheduled to March 2026. Applicants should anticipate similar disruptions and delays at other consular posts and plan accordingly.
What This Means for Applicants and Employers
Foreign nationals without a currently valid visa should carefully consider postponing international travel that would require a new visa appointment.
Employers and affected employees should remain in close communication regarding international travel and visa renewal plans and build contingencies for possible processing delays.
Employers should review and update internal immigration protocols to address expanded online presence screening and advise affected employees to prepare social media accounts and other publicly available online content for review.
Employers should work closely with immigration counsel to monitor updates from consular posts and the Department of State.
Note: This alert summarizes publicly available guidance and reporting as of December 2025 and may be updated as additional official details or implementation guidance become available.