State Department Expands Social Media Scrutiny to H-1B Workers

The State Department will add new vetting of the social media profiles of H-1B visa applicants and their spouses on dependent visas, it announced Wednesday.

Consular officials had already started reviewing the social media profiles of F-1 student visa applicants following a multi-week freeze in student visa processing earlier this year. Like student visa seekers, H-1B applicants and dependents seeking H-2 visas will be required to make social media profiles public starting Dec. 15.

The social media reviews are the latest Trump administration measure adding new pressure to the H-1B program, which is most heavily used by tech employers. Agencies including the Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have announced new initiatives to investigate violations connected to employment of foreign workers on the visas. And the White House in September issued a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee as a condition of entry for new H-1B workers from outside the US.

“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,” the State Department said in the Wednesday announcement.