Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants

Last Updated: September 18, 2026

Effective October 1, the Department of State will broaden its online presence review to cover applicants in the following additional nonimmigrant visa classifications: I (foreign media representatives), TN, and TD (USMCA professionals and their dependents).  To support this vetting process, all applicants for I, TD, and TN nonimmigrant visas are instructed to set the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to "public" or "open."

Today’s announcement expands application of vetting that already applies to the following visa categories:

  • Diplomatic and Official Visas: A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), G-5
  • Students: F-1, M-1, F-2, M-2
  • Temporary Workers and Trainees: H-1B, H-3, H-4 dependents of H1-B and H-3
  • Exchange Visitors: J-1, J-2
  • Fiancé and Dependents: K-1, K-2, K-3
  • International Cultural Exchange Participants: Q
  • Religious Occupations: R-1, R-2
  • Witnesses, Informants, and Victims: S, T, U

The Department relies on every available source of information during visa screening and vetting to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to national security or public safety. We apply this rigorous vetting standard consistently across all visa applicants.

Every visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision. The United States remains vigilant throughout the visa issuance process to confirm that applicants do not intend to cause harm to Americans or threaten U.S. interests, and that each applicant can credibly demonstrate eligibility for the visa requested—including a genuine intent to abide by the terms of admission. Receiving a U.S. visa remains a privilege granted at the government's discretion, not an entitlement.