Overview
- Starting December 15, the State Department will require an online‑presence review for all H‑1B applicants and H‑4 dependents, directing them to make social accounts public and disclose recent usernames.
- Consulates in India, notably Chennai and Hyderabad, have canceled or shifted many mid‑to‑late December interviews, with numerous appointments moved to March 2026.
- The U.S. Embassy in India instructed applicants who received rescheduling emails to attend only the new date, warning that arriving on the original date will result in denial of entry.
- Consular emails cite operational constraints and reduced daily capacity tied to the new screening, which the department frames as a national‑security measure.
- An internal cable tells officers to review resumes and LinkedIn profiles and to scrutinize experience in areas such as misinformation, content moderation, fact‑checking, compliance, and online safety, with attorneys warning of travel and employment disruptions.