The US State Department’s new social media vetting policy has caused major disruptions for H-1B visa applicants in India, with many appointments postponed to next year. The US Embassy in India issued an advisory Tuesday night, urging applicants to attend their rescheduled dates.
“Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in denial of entry to the Embassy or Consulate,” the advisory warned. Media reports indicate that interviews originally set for mid to late December are now being pushed to March, though the total number of reschedules is unclear.
The new policy requires H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents to set all social media profiles to public, allowing officials to review online activity for potential threats to US national security or public safety. Screening for students and exchange visitors was already in place.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said.
This vetting comes amid broader scrutiny of the H-1B program, a key pathway for skilled foreign workers. In September, President Donald Trump imposed a $100,000 one-time fee on new H-1B visas, and later paused Green Card and other immigration applications for individuals from 19 “countries of concern” following a security incident involving an Afghan national.
