US to begin social media screening of H-1B, H-4 visa applicants from December 15

The US will begin enhanced screening of H-1B work visa applicants and their dependents H-4 visa applicants from December 15, expanding social media checks as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to news agency PTI.

In a new directive, the US State Department said it would review the online presence of all H-1B applicants and those applying for H-4 dependent visas. Until now, mandatory social media screening applied mainly to students and exchange visitors. The change brings skilled foreign workers and their families under the same level of scrutiny.

The State Department said applicants will be required to make their social media profiles publicly accessible to allow officials to conduct background checks.

"To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public'," the department said.

F, M and J visas are commonly used by international students and exchange visitors entering the US. The department said these categories were already subject to online screening and that the policy has now been extended to include H-1B and H-4 applicants.

In view of the postponement of H-1B visa interviews in India, H-1B and H-4 visa holders in the US reportedly received emails from the consulate informing them that temporary working visas had been "prudentially revoked".

'VISA IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT'

The State Department stressed that visas are granted at the discretion of the US government and form part of a wider national security process.

"Every visa adjudication is a national security decision," the department said.

"We conduct thorough vetting of all visa applicants, including online presence review of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications," it added.

The department said it uses "all available information" to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the US, including individuals who could pose a risk to national security or public safety.

"The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests," it said, adding that applicants must clearly establish they intend to follow the terms of their visa.

The new directive will affect Indian nationals, who make up one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders. The programme is mostly used by US technology firms and healthcare providers to hire skilled foreign workers, including software engineers and doctors.

The latest order follows a series of steps by the Trump administration to tighten rules around temporary work visas. Officials have argued that the H-1B system has been misused and needs reform to protect American jobs.

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation titled "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers," describing it as an initial step to overhaul the H-1B programme. Under that order, the administration announced a one-time fee of $100,000 for new H-1B work visas, a measure likely to affect Indian professionals seeking jobs in the US.

Washington recently paused green card, US citizenship and other immigration applications from nationals of 19 "countries of concern" following a shooting involving an Afghan national and Guard soldiers.

Earlier this month, a policy memorandum directed US Citizenship and Immigration Services to place all asylum applications on hold, regardless of nationality, pending a comprehensive review. These countries were previously covered under a travel ban announced by Trump in June.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies

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