The US State Department’s new social media vetting policy has triggered massive disruptions for H-1B visa applicants in India as many appointments have been postponed to next year. The US Embassy in India issued an advisory to the visa applicants on Tuesday night.
“If you have received an email advising that your visa appointment has been rescheduled, Mission India looks forward to assisting you on your new appointment date,” it said.
The Embassy also warned that any visa applicant arriving at the consulate on a previously scheduled interview date after being notified of a reschedule will be refused entry. “Arriving on your previously scheduled appointment date will result in your being denied admittance to the Embassy or Consulate,” the Embassy said.
Interviews scheduled for mid to late December are being pushed to March next year, according to media reports. However, the exact number of reschedules is not known.
The US government expanded screening and vetting measures for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, directing them to keep the privacy settings on all their social media profiles set to “public”. Officials will review their online presence starting December 15 to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible or pose a threat to America’s national security or public safety.
Students and exchange visitors were already subject to such scrutiny.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said.
The social media screening is just the latest scrutiny of the H-1B program, the primary immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers that has come under increasing pressure from the Trump administration. In September, US President Donald Trump imposed a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B work visas - an order that could significantly impact Indian workers seeking temporary employment in the US.
Later, the US also paused Green Card, US citizenship, and other immigration applications for people coming from 19 “countries of concern” after the shooting of National Guard soldiers by an Afghan national.
Source: NDTV
- Agencies
