Tightening its measures for the vetting process for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, the US government has introduced mandatory social media screening for all applicants starting December 15.

As per the new order, the applicants have to change their social media profiles to a “public" setting to aid in the screening process.

In an order issued on Wednesday, the US state department said, “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 US State Department also emphasised that the US visa is “a privilege and not a right". “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision," it added, stating that officers r

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