A brand new US State Division rule requiring all H-1B staff and their H-4 dependents to make their social-media accounts public for visa vetting has triggered deep anxiousness throughout Indian immigrant communities, who make up the overwhelming majority of America’s high-skilled visa holders.
The coverage, which takes impact December 15, comes as Indians account for greater than 70 per cent of all H-1B approvals and almost 90 per cent of H-4 Employment Authorization Doc (EAD) holders, lots of whom have constructed careers, mortgages and youngsters’s education round uninterrupted authorized standing.
Immigration legal professionals say the brand new mandate, which permits consular officers to evaluation candidates’ public posts on platforms like X, Instagram and LinkedIn, has created palpable worry. Even mundane remarks, political views or misaligned rsum particulars might set off additional scrutiny.
For a lot of, the anxiousness has already turned to disruption. Tech companies with massive Indian workforces are advising staff to audit social profiles, keep away from sharing political memes and use skilled emails on petitions.
In accordance with a report in The Occasions of India, visa interview appointments throughout Indian consulates have been abruptly cancelled, together with these at Hyderabad and Chennai. Many candidates learnt their December slots had been pushed to March 2026, leaving new hires unable to start out jobs, households stranded overseas and travellers caught after quick visits dwelling for weddings or to drop off mother and father.
In accordance with the State Division, the brand new rule expands the online-presence evaluation already used for college kids and alternate guests. “Each visa adjudication is a nationwide safety determination,” the company mentioned. Candidates should now alter all social-media profiles to public settings to permit officers to examine them.
The division defended the coverage as important to figuring out threats. “A US visa is a privilege, not a proper,” the steerage says, stressing that vetting will assist guarantee entrants “don’t intend to hurt Individuals and our nationwide pursuits.”
US EMBASSY IN INDIA ISSUES ADVISORY
In the meantime, the US Embassy in India on Tuesday cautioned visa candidates to not present up on their previous interview dates if they’ve already been notified of a reschedule. Anybody who arrives on a beforehand scheduled date, officers warned, will probably be turned away on the gate.
In a submit on X, the Embassy mentioned: “When you’ve got acquired an e mail advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India seems to be ahead to aiding you in your new appointment date. Arriving in your beforehand scheduled appointment date will end in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate.”
The reminder comes at a time when visa interview slots are in heavy demand and wait instances routinely stretch for months.
Immigration lawyer Steven Brown mentioned the disruptions are widespread. “Mission India confirms what we’ve been listening to. They’ve cancelled a lot of appointments within the coming weeks and rescheduled them for March to permit for the social media vetting,” Brown mentioned.
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