In line with its ‘America First’ immigration agenda, the White House is advancing a policy that involves a significant crackdown on work permits. This renewed focus includes heightened screening measures for foreign workers, particularly impacting H-1B visa applicants and their dependents. Effective December 15th, these individuals will undergo mandatory social media checks as part of the enhanced vetting process.
The U.S. State Department has issued directives requiring all applicants for H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas to set their social media accounts to public. This step is crucial for consular officers to assess online activity, reinforcing the view that obtaining a U.S. visa is a privilege and a national security consideration. The department stressed the importance of vigilance to ensure that visa applicants do not pose a security threat.
This stricter immigration policy is a cause for concern for many Indian professionals who rely on the H-1B visa program. These measures are consistent with the administration’s efforts to address concerns regarding the H-1B program’s utilization. Previous actions included imposing a significant fee on new H-1B applications and pausing the processing of immigration applications for nationals of several ‘countries of concern’ subsequent to a security-related incident.