Title: State Department Expands Social Media Vetting to 14 Additional Visa Categories
Summary: Starting March 30, 2026, the U.S. State Department is expanding mandatory social media screening to 14 more nonimmigrant visa categories, including K-1 fiancé(e)s and H-3 trainees.
The U.S. Department of State has announced a significant expansion of its online vetting procedures for visa applicants. Effective March 30, 2026, individuals applying for 14 additional nonimmigrant visa categories will be subject to mandatory social media screening. The affected categories include K-1 fiancé(e) visas, K-3 spouse visas, H-3 trainees and their dependents, R-1 religious workers, as well as humanitarian visas like T and U for victims of trafficking and crimes.
Under the new procedures, consular officers will review applicants' online presence to identify any potential threats to national security or public safety. The State Department is also requiring applicants in these categories to set their social media profile privacy settings to 'public' or 'open' to facilitate this vetting process.
This expansion builds upon existing policies that already require social media screening for H-1B, F, M, and J visa applicants. The move underscores the government's increasing reliance on digital footprints in visa adjudications, treating every application as a national security decision. Applicants should be aware that their online activity, including posts, comments, and associations, will be closely scrutinized during the consular processing stage.