Update to New Visa Screening Requirements
This article was originally posted June 20, 2025; it has been updated to include new information.
On December 4, 2025, the online presence (social media) screening to include H-1B and H-4 visa applicants. Previously, this requirement had applied only to .
All F, J and, as of Dec. 15, all H visa applicants must "adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public' as online presence screening is a part of the visa application process.” While we’re not aware of online presence screening resulting in visa denials for our community, it has delayed the visa application process and we expect that visa wait times as well as visa processing times will increase.
Students and J/H scholars who plan to travel and need to apply for a visa should be aware that this process may involve significant delays. We encourage travelers to consult with their OIE advisor and consider their travel risk factors carefully.
Travelers who are experiencing difficulty scheduling a visa appointment should keep checking for appointments and take the earliest appointment available, then continue to check for earlier appointments as there will be shifts in scheduling and additional appointments may be added.
Our team is here to provide support and guidance, so if you have questions about visa screening requirements, please do not hesitate to contact OIE at oie@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-5231.