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What is social media screening and why is it being expanded to H1B and H4?
Social media screening is not a new concept. It has already been in place for certain visa categories — including F, M, and J visas — and USCIS has now announced it is being extended to H1B and H4 visas, effective December 15th, 2025. What this means in practice is that your social media profiles will be checked and vetted as part of your visa application process. The purpose is to assess whether your posts, your associations with groups, or the communities you are part of pose any threat to US national security or national interests.
How will social media screening actually work for your H1B or H4 application?
Because social media screening has already been rolled out for other visa categories, we have a good understanding of exactly how the process unfolds. Here is what to expect at each stage.
Step 1: The DS-160 form is where it all begins
When you fill out your DS-160 form, you are required to declare all of your social media handles. You also need to make sure those profiles are set to public so they can be reviewed. I will be sharing detailed guidance shortly on which specific platforms are covered and exactly how to set your profiles to public — but the key thing to know right now is that the DS-160 is your starting point.
Step 2: Your interview proceeds as normal
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Book a Mock InterviewThe interview itself does not change. You will go through the same process you would have before this update. However, what changes is what happens at the end of the interview.
Step 3: Conditional approval and the 221g slip
Once your interview is complete, the officer will not tell you your visa is approved outright. Instead, you will receive a 221g slip, which means your visa is conditionally approved. Your passport is held while your social media profiles go through screening. This process typically takes about one to two weeks — sometimes around ten days. Once the screening is complete and everything clears, your status changes to issued and you receive your passport back with the visa stamped.
What should you do right now, even if your interview is not yet scheduled?
My strong recommendation is this: do not wait until December 15th to think about your social media profiles. If your biometric appointment has not happened yet, use that time to make sure your DS-160 is updated and that all your social media handles are declared. For all of my clients, I have been making it a point to ensure social media profiles are declared for the past six months — precisely because policy can shift at any time, just as it did with H1B today. It is simply good practice to declare all your social media profiles on any US visa application, regardless of category.
Does this apply to L visas too?
I have had a lot of people ask me whether L visa applicants are also affected. As of this announcement, no — social media screening is not yet mandatory for L visas. It is currently limited to H1B and H4. That said, given how quickly these policies can expand, I still recommend that L visa applicants proactively declare their social media profiles. It protects you, and it puts you ahead of any future changes.
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