US Enhances Visa Check To Social Media
The United States has refocused its attention on the online footprints of visa applicants. On Monday, the Department of State declared that it has expanded social media and online presence screening to include all H-1B specialty occupation workers and their H-4 dependents as part of routine visa screening.
The update comes as applicants in India received surprising emails stating that their visa appointments had been rescheduled. For thousands of people planning to travel, find jobs, or reunite with loved ones, the message is simple: your online life is now as important as your paperwork. Your posts, likes, and shares might make or break timelines, and patience may be the latest visa requirement.
US Embassy Clarifies Scope Of Vetting
“This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities for H-1B and H-4 visas. It is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B program while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers,” the US Embassy in India said in a post on X.
The embassy added that US embassies and consulates will continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 visa applications, urging applicants to apply early and prepare for longer processing times.
WORLDWIDE ALERT FOR H-1B AND H-4 VISA APPLICANTS
Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews to ALL H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening. This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities… pic.twitter.com/qMrMrOvqy0
, U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) December 22, 2025
Trump Administration’s Heightened Scrutiny On Non-Immigrant Visas
The decision is made during a period when non-immigrant visa policies have become more stringent under the Trump administration, with the H-1B program being particularly closely monitored. In the past, the migration of global talent via H-1B, F-1, and J-1 visas was seen as a fast and easy way; now, they are facing stricter controls, longer waiting periods, and less predictability. Every single application gets the same careful treatment as before, and the timelines that once felt normal are now testing one’s patience.
The same is true for students and skilled workers, the message is loud and clear: paperwork alone is no longer enough. In the new world of visas, deeper scrutiny and higher expectations have quietly become the new normal.
Endless Waits, Rising Frustration For Indian H-1B Applicants
Hundreds of Indian H-1B workers, who went back to India in December to get their work permits renewed, are now stuck in a long and tiring process of waiting. The US consulate offices suddenly cancelled their scheduled appointments and pushed the new dates several months later, thus leaving their careers, salaries, and family plans in a state of uncertainty.
For a large number of applicants, this situation means being stuck without any specific time frame in sight on an already lengthy waiting list that keeps growing. With each passing week, the vetting process continues to become more difficult, leading to increasing frustration. What used to be a simple renewal is now a daily fight, with nervous visa holders growing madder and madder over the uncertainty, their lives on hold, and a system that seems to become more challenging to navigate every day.
Why The US Is Scrutinising Social Media As Part Of Visa Security Checks
Aishwarya is a journalism graduate with over three years of experience thriving in the buzzing corporate media world. She’s got a knack for decoding business news, tracking the twists and turns of the stock market, covering the masala of the entertainment world, and sometimes her stories come with just the right sprinkle of political commentary. She has worked with several organizations, interned at ZEE and gained professional skills at TV9 and News24, And now is learning and writing at NewsX, she’s no stranger to the newsroom hustle. Her storytelling style is fast-paced, creative, and perfectly tailored to connect with both the platform and its audience. Moto: Approaching every story from the reader’s point of view, backing up her insights with solid facts.
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