US visa applicants instructed to make profiles ‘public’ for social media inspection

All non-immigrant visa applicants seeking specific classifications, including student, employment, and dependent tracks, have been instructed to mandatorily adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public” or “open”.

According to an official announcement regarding regulations enforced since 30 March, this directive has been issued to facilitate the comprehensive screening and vetting required to establish an applicant’s identity and admissibility to the United States.

The security protocol marks a significant expansion of the online presence review framework to include a wide array of additional non-immigrant visa classifications.

The newly affected categories encompass all applicants under the A-3, C-3 (specifically if a domestic worker), G-5, H-3, and H-4 dependents of H-3 tracks, alongside K-1, K-2, K-3, Q, R-1, R-2, S, T, and U classifications.

These newly integrated groups are being added to the existing screening protocols that already govern H-1B applicants, their dependents, and all F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visa applicants who are already subject to this digital review.

The US Department of State also confirmed that detailed information regarding the specific purpose of travel for each of these distinct visa classifications is maintained on its official website, directing individuals to a provided digital link for further reference.

The state department emphasised that it systematically utilises all available information during the screening and vetting phases to identify any visa applicants who are legally inadmissible to the United States, explicitly including individuals who may pose a potential threat to US national security or public safety.

Affirming that thorough vetting is conducted for all applicants without exception, the directive underscores that every single visa adjudication is fundamentally handled as a national security decision.

Under this policy framework, strict vigilance must be maintained during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission do not intend to cause harm to Americans or compromise national interests.

Furthermore, all applicants are required to credibly establish their baseline eligibility for the specific visa sought, including proving their intent to engage strictly in activities consistent with the terms of their admission.