Department of State Announces Expanded Screening and Vetting for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants

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Department of State Announces Expanded Screening and Vetting for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants

December 4, 2025

The Department of State (“DOS”) announced that all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants will now be subject to an online presence review. DOS previously announced that F, M, and J visa applicants would be subject to an online presence review. According to the announcement, DOS will use all available information in visa screening and vetting.

All applicants for H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to “public.” Consular officers will now review an applicant’s public social media accounts and activity, information in online databases, websites and other digital sources, and any other publicly available information that may reflect on eligibility or admissibility.

Please stay tuned to our website for further updates. If you have any questions about how this announcement might affect you, please contact your attorney directly. To schedule a new consultation with one of our attorneys, please complete our consultation request form.