December 22, 2025 8:44 PM
The United States Department of State has expanded online presence reviews for all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants worldwide, effective from 15th of this month. The enhanced screening will apply to applicants of all nationalities as part of the standard visa vetting process.
The department has said that this move aims to curb misuse of the H-1B programme while continuing to allow U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals.
The U.S. embassies and consulates across the world will continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 non-immigrant visa applications.However, applicants have been advised to apply early and be prepared for additional processing time under the revised screening norms.
The United States on Monday said that the Department of State has expanded its review of social media and online presence to cover all H-1B specialty occupation workers and their H-4 dependents as part of standard visa screening.
The move comes as several applicants in India received emails informing them that their visa appointments had been rescheduled.