The U.S. Department of State has broadened how it screens applicants for H-1B specialty occupation visas and their H-4 dependents at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Beginning December 15, 2025, consular officers started conducting a mandatory review of each H-1B and H-4 applicant’s publicly available online presence, including social media accounts, as part of visa adjudication. Applicants are instructed to set social media privacy settings to “public” so officers can access and review this content.