US Military Scrutinizes Social Media of H-1B Visa Applicants

As of December 15, the U.S. State Department will conduct online presence reviews of H-1B visa applicants and their dependents. This policy mandates that individuals under review must set their social media account settings to public.

The objective is to verify which applicants may be inadmissible to the United States, particularly those who could pose a threat to national security or public safety. This policy represents a significant shift in consular screening for employment-based visa categories.

The update follows President Donald Trump's September 21 signing of the Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers proclamation, which requires employers to pay $100,000 to file most H-1B visa petitions.

Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security reinstated wage-based H-1B visa selection criteria that month. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also issued guidance in November addressing anti-American bias at work, particularly regarding job listings that include phrases like H-1B preferred or H-1B only.

These measures reflect the current administration's commitment to prioritizing American workers. Henry Lindpere, senior counsel at Manifest Law, stated that the executive branch is increasing the use of discretionary authority under national security considerations across agencies.

For HR professionals, this means that recruiters and hiring managers will need to thoroughly examine visa applicants' social media pages. The law firm Wildes & Weinberg noted that the expanded vetting increases the responsibility for employers sponsoring H-1B visas to advise applicants about their digital footprint, making public content review part of compliance awareness.