In a worldwide alert, the US said the vetting is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B programme.
The US on Monday (Dec 22/2025) said that the Department of State has expanded online presence reviews to all H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening.
“This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities for H1-B and H-4 visas. It is an effort to address abuse of the H-1B programme while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers,” it said in a worldwide alert on Monday.
It further said that the US embassies and consulates will continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrant visa applications. “We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications,” it said.
This move comes amid the Trump administration’s high scrutiny of non-immigrant visa holders, especially the H-1B employees.
Visa categories such as H-1B, F-1, and J-1 have been significantly affected by the modifications implemented by the Trump administration. Numerous visa holders find themselves stranded in their home countries after travelling to renew their documentation, as US consulates are delaying scheduled interviews to facilitate more thorough background checks.
