Washington DC: The United States Department of State has announced a significant expansion of its visa screening and vetting procedures, effective Monday, March 30, 2026. Under the new rules, a wider range of non-immigrant visa applicants will be required to disclose their social media presence and ensure their profiles are set to “public” or “open” to facilitate a mandatory review by consular officers. This move follows a phased rollout that began in 2025 and reflects a broader effort to integrate digital footprints into national security-based visa adjudications.
Starting March 30, the mandatory social media review will extend to several additional categories, including A-3 and G-5 (domestic workers of diplomats), H-3 (trainees), K-visas (fiancés and spouses of U.S. citizens), and Q, R, S, T, and U visas. These additions join the H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J categories, which were already subject to such checks under earlier mandates. Applicants are instructed to provide all social media handles used over the past five years, and the State Department has emphasized that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” aimed at identifying individuals who may pose a threat to U.S. interests.
Immigration experts note that while the new rules primarily target less common visa types for Indian applicants, the requirement to make personal profiles public marks a shift in privacy expectations for travelers. Discrepancies between an applicant’s online activity and their official documents, or the failure to disclose even inactive accounts, could lead to additional questioning, administrative processing, or longer wait times. Consular officers are also reportedly directed to review professional profiles, such as LinkedIn, and resumes to ensure consistency and identify any potential grounds for inadmissibility.
