Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, IMMIGRATION NEWS—State Department instructs H-1B visa applicants to ‘adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public’, (Dec 4, 2025)

By Brandi O. Brown, J.D.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”

In an announcement issued yesterday, the U.S. Department of State states that to “facilitate... vetting” the visas under a process applicable as of December 15, 2025, “all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.””

As of that date, the State Department notes, it “will expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review.”

It adds:

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. 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. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”

It explains that it “uses all available information in visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety.”

H-1B visas have already been subject to, or faced with the possibility of, other changes under the new administration, including a new price tag set by Presidential proclamation.

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