Applicants for certain visas will have their online presence reviewed as part of a new State Department policy that went into effect on Dec. 15.
The policy expands previous online review requirements, which applied to foreign students and exchange visitors, to include all H-1B applicants, who work in specialty occupations and are seeking temporary entry to the United States, as well as their dependents.
The State Department announced the new policy in early December, saying applicants are “instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’” to facilitate the review.
“The Trump Administration is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” a State Department spokesperson told USA TODAY. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”
The change comes months after President Donald Trump introduced a $100,000 annual application fee for H-1B visas.
