The administration of Donald Trump has announced tighter checks on H-1B visa holders and their H-4 dependents, directing applicants to ensure all their social media accounts are set to public view.
In a notice issued on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said that from December 15 it would begin reviewing the online activity of all H-1B applicants and their dependents. Officials explained that this step extends a policy that already applies to student and exchange-visitor visas.
The department said applicants under the H-1B and H-4 categories, along with those seeking F, M and J visas, would be required to change the privacy settings of their social media accounts so they can be accessed during background checks. It added that this was necessary to make the screening process more effective.
Emphasising that obtaining a US visa is a privilege not a right, the department said it relies on every available source of information to identify applicants who may be ineligible or could pose risks to national security or public safety. It underlined that every visa application is treated as a matter of national security, TNIE reported.
The department also said the United States needed to remain alert to ensure that applicants did not present any harm to the country, and stressed that all individuals must convincingly establish both eligibility and their intention to follow the conditions of their admission.
The administration of Donald Trump has described the latest directive as part of a broader drive to further tighten U.S. immigration rules.
Officials said the government has stepped up action against alleged misuse of the H-1B visa system, which is widely used by American technology firms to recruit foreign professionals. They noted that Indian nationals, particularly in the technology and medical sectors, form one of the largest groups of H-1B holders and are therefore among those most affected.
In September, Trump issued a proclamation titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, which introduced a one-time fee of USD 100,000 for new H-1B visas. The administration indicated that the measure could have a major impact on foreign professionals, especially from India.
Separately, the government has suspended Green Card processing, citizenship applications and other immigration clearances for people from 19 “countries of concern” following a shooting involving National Guard soldiers that authorities said was carried out by an Afghan national.
A policy memo issued on Tuesday instructed the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to immediately place all asylum applications on hold, irrespective of the applicant’s nationality, until a full review is completed. The same suspension also applies to immigration applications from citizens of the 19 countries earlier covered by the administration’s travel ban.
The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen. The directive stated that all such cases would remain on hold during the review process, regardless of entry date.
The new measures followed the shooting of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. Trump later said Beckstrom had died from her injuries, while Wolfe remained in critical condition.
Authorities identified the accused as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who had entered the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome, a programme launched during the Biden administration to admit Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover in 2021.