U.S. State Dept. Announces Increased Social Media Vetting for H-1B and H-4 visa Applicants

3 December 2025

The U.S. State Dept. announced increased scrutiny of social media accounts held by H-1B and H-4 visa applicants as of December 15, 2025. Similar to the current requirement for F-1 and J-1 visa applicants, all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants will be required to set their social media accounts to “public” to facilitate the review. It is likely these increased social media reviews will add delays to the visa application process. Reuters reports that U.S. Consulates abroad have been told to review resumes and LinkedIn accounts “to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others.” (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-orders-enhanced-vetting-applicants-h-1b-visa-2025-12-04/)