Social Media Must Be “Public” for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants
December 5, 2025As of December 15, the U.S. Department of State will expand its online presence review requirement to include all H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents. Previously, this level of social media scrutiny applied primarily to F-1 students, M vocational students, and J exchange visitors. Now, this requirement reaches into the employment-based immigration space—and employers should understand what this means for foreign workers and their families. Simply put, H-1B and H-4 visa applicants must now have all of their social media profiles set to “public”.
What Is Changing?
The Department will now require consular officers to review the online presence of every applicant seeking an H-1B or H-4 visa. To facilitate this review, applicants are instructed to set all social media profiles to “public.”
That means officers may inspect the content posted on platforms such as:
- X/Twitter
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Any other platforms where the applicant maintains a profile
What Employers Need to Know
1. This will affect employees going to visa stamping appointments
Any H-1B employee traveling abroad for a visa appointment must comply with the requirement and should be prepared for officers to view publicly available content.
2. Inconsistencies can cause delays or denials
If an applicant’s social media suggests unauthorized employment, inconsistent qualifications, or other red flags, the consulate may issue a 221(g) request or even a denial.
3. Past posts may be reviewed
Applicants should review not only current content but also older public posts, comments, photos, tagged content, and profile information.
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