US Embassy warns of longer waits as social media screening expands for H-1B, H-4 visas

The US Embassy in India has urged visa applicants to apply early and prepare for delays after Washington introduced stricter vetting for H-1B and H-4 visas, including mandatory reviews of social media profiles.

“WORLDWIDE ALERT FOR H-1B AND H-4 VISA APPLICANTS Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews to ALL H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening. This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities for H1-B and H-4 visas. It is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B program while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers. U.S. embassies and consulates continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrant visa applications. We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications,” the embassy said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the policy took effect on December 15, 2025.

Under the new rules, consular officers will scrutinize applicants’ online presence—covering platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn—as part of standard visa adjudication.

Applicants are advised to keep profiles public to facilitate checks. The policy applies to both new applications and renewals for H-1B workers and their H-4 dependents.

The changes have already disrupted scheduling at US consulates in India, with some appointments cancelled and rescheduled for months later.

Tech giants including

Google, Apple, and Microsoft have advised employees to avoid non-essential travel to prevent being stranded abroad

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India accounts for 70–75% of H-1B beneficiaries, making the impact particularly significant for thousands of IT professionals and their families.