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U.S. Widens Visa Social-Media Screening, Tells Applicants to Keep Accounts Public

The shift points to deeper security screening that could slow cases or trigger more cancellations.

Overview

  • The State Department expanded online and social-media checks to more nonimmigrant visa categories effective Monday, March 30, according to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.
  • Applicants are instructed to keep their profiles public during processing because private accounts can delay a decision, the embassy said in guidance posted on X.
  • The expansion now covers A-3, C-3 and G-5 domestic worker visas, additional H categories including H-3 and H-4 dependents, K-1 to K-3 fiancé and spouse visas, plus Q, R-1 and R-2, S, T and U visas.
  • Officials frame the step as a national-security measure and stress that a U.S. visa is a privilege, with consular officers reviewing publicly viewable posts and usernames but not passwords.
  • The practice builds on 2019 application forms that collect social-media handles, and coverage notes stricter vetting, longer waits and more revocations since 2025 that could weigh on travel and family reunification plans.