Social Media Vetting Expanded to H-1B/H-4
The State Department has expanded social media vetting to include H-1B and H-4 visa applicants. As of December 15, 2025, all applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all social media profiles to “public” for their visa appointments.
In the wake of this plan, we are receiving reports that a number of U.S. consulates are cancelling and rescheduling visa appointments that were originally scheduled for December 15 or later. Many applicants are seeing their visa appointments being rescheduled for later in 2026.
It is likely that an increasing number of consular posts will cancel and reschedule some portion of their H-1B and H-4 visa appointments that were originally scheduled for December 15 and later.
In addition to the rescheduling of existing appointments, wait times for new visa appointments – for H-1B, H-4, and other nonimmigrant visa types – are likely to increase due to decreased consular capacity.
The new vetting standards also mean that H-1B and H-4 applicants may face an increased likelihood of being flagged for lengthy background checks and longer waits for visa issuance.
What this means for you:
If you and your dependents have an upcoming H-1B/H-4 visa appointment and do not currently hold a valid visa stamp for re-entry to the U.S., we recommend that you carefully consider whether to continue with international travel at this time. If your H-1B appointment is canceled and rescheduled, you may be stuck outside of the U.S. for an extended period of time without the ability to work.
If you still plan to travel, check your visa appointment status frequently. There is a possibility that appointments could be canceled at the last minute, which may result in being stuck outside of the U.S. for an extended period of time without the ability to work.
We strongly recommend exercising caution and planning accordingly.
If you have questions or need guidance, please reach out to ois@vanderbilt.edu