Privacy settings to 'public': Trump tightens H-1B screening; social media checks from December 15

The Trump administration announced on Sunday that starting December 15, enhanced screening and social media vetting will be implemented for all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents in the United States, extending measures already in place for students and exchange visitors. The State Department issued a new directive requiring all H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependent visa holders to make their social media profiles public for review during the vetting process. The 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'." This new requirement has already impacted visa processing, with several H-1B h