Social Media Vetting: Which US Visa Types It Covers, and From When

What is the State Department's online presence review?

The online presence review is a State Department check of the public social media profiles of visa applicants in covered categories, commonly called social media vetting. Applicants in those categories are instructed to set their profiles to public so officers can review them.

The review is separate from the social media handles an applicant declares on the DS-160. The DS-160 has required an answer to its social media question since May 31, 2019 (SRW Border Lawyers). Making profiles public is a second obligation, and it applies only to the categories in the table below. Completing one does not satisfy the other.

The December 2025 announcement for H-1B and H-4 applicants tells them to set their profiles to public (University of Hawaii at Manoa). The March 2026 announcement uses the wording "public" or "open" (Manifest Law).

Which US visa types does social media vetting cover, and from when?

Social media vetting covers F, M and J visas since June 2025, H-1B and H-4 visas since December 15, 2025, 14 more categories since March 30, 2026, and I, TN and TD visas since October 1, 2026. B-1/B-2, L-1, L-2, O-1 and E visas are not covered.

The lists are cumulative. The March 2026 expansion added 14 categories to those already covered, and the October 2026 expansion added 3 more. Neither replaced an earlier list. The dates and categories come from Hunton for June and December 2025, from Phillips Lytle and Manifest Law for March 2026, and from Fragomen for October 2026.

H-1B and H-4 applicants are covered. For the booking steps that apply to them, read H-1B stamping in India: booking and interview rules.

Does social media vetting apply to all US visa categories?

No. A widely shared claim says vetting now applies to all US visa categories, but every expansion named specific categories. B-1/B-2, L-1, L-2, O-1 and E visas are on none of the lists.

A widely circulated post states that social media vetting "now applies to ALL US visa categories as of march 30". It does not.

The March 30, 2026 expansion covers 14 additional categories, and the October 1, 2026 expansion adds 3 more. Several visa types that Indian applicants commonly use are on none of the lists:

• B-1/B-2 visitor visas are not covered.
• L-1 and L-2 intracompany transfer visas are not covered. The L-1 guide explains what does apply to them.
• O-1 visas are not covered.
• E category visas are not covered.

If you hold an appointment in one of those categories, no public-profile instruction applies to you under the announcements listed below. You still answer the DS-160 social media question, and that is a different obligation.

We would rather tell you a rule does not reach you than leave you preparing for one that does not exist.

How long does an online presence review take?

WaitDelta does not publish a duration for the online presence review. The State Department does not publish one, and none of the law-firm alerts listed below states one. Several warn of delays or extra screening without giving a timeframe.

Applicants report widely varying outcomes, and a handful of self-reported cases is not an average anyone should plan a flight around.

We also cannot tell you whether your own application will be approved. An adjudication is individual, and the announcements do not state the standard that officers apply (Fragomen). No site, including this one, has the information to predict yours.

Changes to this page

• October 10, 2026. First published. Coverage dates and category lists were checked against the sources below on this date. The State Department's own pages block automated readers, so the March and October 2026 category lists come from the law-firm alerts, which agree on the categories.

Sources