Trump administration orders H-1B, H-4 visa applicants to make social media profiles public

New York/Washington: The US government has expanded screening measures for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, directing them to make all social media profiles public starting December 15. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and TikTok must be viewable by US visa officers.

Previously applied only to students and exchange visitors, the online presence checks now extend to non immigrant workers. The State Department emphasised that a US visa is a privilege, not a right, and reviewing applicants’ social media is part of national security and public safety vetting. “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the department said.

The directive forms part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten immigration rules and curb abuse of the H-1B programme, widely used by US technology companies to hire foreign professionals. Indian workers, including tech professionals and physicians, make up one of the largest groups of H-1B holders. In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation imposing a one-time USD 100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, a move likely to affect Indian workers seeking temporary US employment.

Separately, Green Card, US citizenship, asylum, and other immigration applications from nationals of 19 “countries of concern” have been paused following the shooting of US service members by an Afghan national. The affected countries are Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen. The hold applies irrespective of entry date and remains pending a comprehensive review.