Social media screening for US H-1B visa begins: How Indians will be worst-hit

By Aryan Mudgal

The social media screening process applies to all H-1B applicants and their dependent H-4 visa applicants, as per an order by the US state department.

The United States has begun screening and vetting the social media accounts of all H-1B visa applicants and their dependent H-4 visa applicants, starting Monday (December 15), as per an earlier order from the US state department. The aim of the enhanced screening is to identify applicants who are “inadmissible” to the country, since a US visa is a “privilege, not a right”, the order says, as the Donald Trump-led administration continues its crackdown on immigration.

The H-1B visa is issued to foreign employees and is used by American companies to hire talent from outside the country. Notably, Indian nationals are the largest group to benefit from this programme.

Even before the rule took effect, the US Embassy in India had rescheduled many visa interviews, leaving several applicants stranded and affecting their travel plans. “Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate,” the embassy said.

Meanwhile, many H-1B and H-4 holders also saw their visas being “prudentially revoked” even if they merely had a past interaction with law enforcement but no conviction, immigration attorney Emily Neumann said in a post on X. Notably, a prudential visa revocation is a temporary and precautionary step taken as a matter of caution, and it does not amount to a permanent cancellation of the visa.

Source: Social media screening for US H-1B visa begins: How Indians will be worst-hit | India News