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 ...