•US visa
The United States Department of State has expanded its online presence review to cover three additional categories of nonimmigrant visa applicants from October 1, 2026.
Under the new measure, applicants for I, TN and TD visas will be required to set their social media profiles to “public” or “open” to allow consular officers to conduct online presence reviews as part of the visa vetting process.
The Department of State announced the change in an update dated September 18, 2026.
The affected visa categories are I visas for foreign media representatives, TN visas for certain professionals from Canada and Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and TD visas for dependants of TN visa holders.
The department said the expanded review builds on online presence screening already required for several other visa categories.
These include diplomatic and official visas such as A-3, C-3, where applicable to domestic workers, and G-5; student visas including F-1, M-1, F-2 and M-2; and temporary worker and trainee visas such as H-1B, H-3 and H-4 for dependants of H-1B and H-3 visa holders.
Other categories already subject to the review include exchange visitor visas J-1 and J-2; fiancé(e) and dependant visas K-1, K-2 and K-3; international cultural exchange visas Q; religious worker visas R-1 and R-2; and S, T and U visas for certain witnesses, informants and victims.
According to the Department of State, consular officers use available information during visa screening and vetting to determine whether applicants may be inadmissible to the United States, including those considered to pose national security or public safety risks.
The department said the same vetting standard applies across visa applicants.
“Every visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision,” the department said, adding that the US would remain vigilant throughout the visa issuance process.
It said the screening is intended to determine whether applicants intend to harm Americans or threaten US interests and whether they meet the requirements for the visas they are seeking.
Applicants must also demonstrate that they genuinely intend to comply with the conditions of their admission to the United States.
The department further stated that a US visa is a privilege granted at the government’s discretion and not an entitlement.
