Worldwide US alert: Embassy offers pointers to H-1B, H-4 visa applicants amid social media checks; what has changed | India News – The Times of India

As the US kicks of screening of social media, US embassy in India issued a worldwide alert for all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants. It called on the applicants to expect longer processing time, so to apply accordingly.“Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews to ALL H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening,” said the embassy sharing the alert on social media.

“This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities for H1-B and H-4 visas. It is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B program while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers,” it added.Further urging people to apply as soon as possible it also said, “US embassies and consulates continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrant visa applications. We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications.”This alert comes as US made its screening process rigorous by enforcing extensive screening of a person applying for H-1B or H-4 visa social media presence, since December 15. According to the rules, the US administration, in addition to social media, will also check old phone numbers, unused email addresses of all those who travel to the US, even from countries which are on visa waiver.Also read: Indian H-1B workers stranded as Trump admin starts social media checks; firms rush to bring them backImmigration experts added that additional questioning and inspections have also become increasingly common, particularly for Indian students on F-1 visas, especially first-time travellers and those enrolling in STEM programmes. Indian professionals holding H-1B and L-1 visas, along with frequent visitors travelling on B-1 and B-2 visas, are also encountering heightened scrutiny.