US orders H-1B spouses, kids to keep social media public from Dec 15

Now, not just primary visa holders but also their spouses and children will need to keep the privacy settings on all their social media profiles set to “public”, as the United States extends online-presence checks to more visa categories.

In a notification dated December 3, the State Department said the expanded screening will apply from December 15 to H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependants. The same instruction already applies to those seeking F, M and J visas.

“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’,” the State Department said.

Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the department said, adding that the United States “must be vigilant” and ensure applicants intend to comply with the terms of their stay.

What is the scope of the new order?

The directive applies to principal H-1B applicants as well as H-4 spouses and children, extending the scrutiny that already covered international students and exchange visitors. It brings all major non-immigrant categories used by Indian professionals and students under uniform online presence checks. The directive applies to principal H-1B applicants as well as H-4 spouses and children, extending the scrutiny that already covered international students and exchange visitors. It brings all major non-immigrant categories used by Indian professionals and students under uniform online presence checks.

What is an H-4 visa?

An H-4 visa allows the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of H-1B, H-1B1, H-2A, H-2B or H-3 workers to live in the United States. They may study but generally cannot work unless granted an employment authorisation document. The visa’s validity is tied to the primary holder’s status.

Why is this part of a broader tightening cycle?

The updated guidance is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules and curb misuse of the H-1B programme, which is widely used by US technology firms to hire foreign workers. Indian professionals, including tech workers and physicians, form a large share of H-1B holders.

In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation titled ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’, imposing a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions, a move that could affect Indian professionals seeking temporary roles in the United States.

Which countries are impacted by the application pause?

The updated guidance is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules and curb misuse of the H-1B programme, which is widely used by US technology firms to hire foreign workers. Indian professionals, who account for about 70 per cent of all H-1B visa holders, form the largest group in this category. Every year, many apply for it, and the expanded checks are likely to affect them the most.

A policy memorandum issued Tuesday instructs officers to “place on hold” all asylum applications pending a broader review. The pause also applies to immigration cases filed by nationals of 19 countries previously covered by the travel ban: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.

These applications will remain on hold “pending a comprehensive review, regardless of entry date”, the directive said.

The new measures follow the shooting of US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and US Air Force Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom later died from her injuries, President Trump said during a Thanksgiving call with service members, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

The accused, Lakanwal, 29, had entered the United States under ‘Operation Allies Welcome’, the Biden-era programme set up to bring Afghan nationals to safety after the Taliban takeover in 2021.