US Expands Social Media Screening for Visa Applicants From October 1

From October 1, 2026, US visa applicants in certain categories must keep their social media profiles public as part of expanded screening by the US Department of State. The requirement applies to I visas (foreign media representatives), TN visas (Canadian and Mexican professionals under USMCA), and TD visas (their spouses and children).

Applicants in these categories are being instructed to set their profiles to “public” or “open” so authorities can vet their online presence. The State Department said it uses “every available source of information” during visa screening to identify applicants who may pose security risks, adding that “every visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision.”

This expands existing online-presence checks already applied to student visas (F-1, M-1), certain temporary worker visas (H-1B, H-3, H-4), exchange visitor visas (J-1, J-2), fiancé visas (K-1, K-2, K-3), and several other categories.

The rule comes amid broader tightening of US visa processing. Earlier in 2026, the State Department briefly suspended immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries over “public charge” concerns, before a federal judge struck down the policy in August. Processing has since resumed, though interviews were paused again temporarily for staff training.