Overview
- Beginning December 15, consular officers will conduct online‑presence reviews for all H‑1B workers and H‑4 dependents, extending a process already applied to students and exchange visitors.
- Applicants in H‑1B, H‑4, F, M and J categories are instructed to set all social‑media profiles to public to facilitate screening.
- Visa applicants must list every social‑media username used in the past five years on the DS‑160 form, and U.S. embassy guidance warns that omissions can lead to denial and future ineligibility.
- Internal guidance cited in reports says officers may draw negative inferences if accounts are partly private or if applicants lack an online presence, and derogatory content can trigger interviews, extended checks or refusal.
- India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed the issue has been raised with U.S. authorities as Indian professionals, a major H‑1B cohort, voice concern over the heightened scrutiny.