Washington, Dec 23: Indian professionals seeking employment in the United States are expected to face longer visa processing times after the US expanded online presence reviews to all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants starting Dec. 15.
The policy, announced by the US Department of State, makes enhanced digital scrutiny mandatory for every applicant worldwide, including those applying for renewals. Indians form the largest share of H-1B beneficiaries, making the change particularly significant for the country’s technology and healthcare workforce.
“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,” the department said, calling the measure global in scope and applicable to all nationalities.
While the State Department has not detailed the precise criteria, such reviews generally involve checks of social media accounts and other publicly available online information. These assessments are used to verify applicants’ backgrounds and flag potential security or compliance issues.
US officials said the expansion is aimed at preventing abuse of the H-1B programme while allowing American firms to continue hiring skilled foreign workers.
India has consistently accounted for more than 70% of H-1B approvals in recent years, with beneficiaries spanning software engineering, research, healthcare and academia. The H-4 visa is issued to spouses and dependents of these workers, many of whom already face long waits for employment authorization and permanent residency.
US embassies and consulates said visa services will continue without suspension but warned of delays due to additional checks.
“We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications,” the advisory said.
The move comes amid continued political scrutiny of the H-1B system in the US, where lawmakers have pushed for tighter controls to ensure visas are granted only to qualified candidates and employers comply with programme rules.
