New Social Media Rules for I, TN, and TD Visa Applicants Start October 1, 2026

The U.S. Department of State has expanded its online presence review to include more visa applicants. Starting October 1, 2026, individuals applying for I, TN, and TD visas must make all their social media profiles public. This change affects foreign media representatives, professionals applying under the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), and their dependents. The goal of this review is to help assess potential inadmissibility, national security risks, and public safety concerns.

I, TN, and TD Visa Applicants and Social Media Privacy

The new directive from the State Department specifically targets applicants for I, TN, and TD visas. This means that foreign media representatives (I visa), professionals coming to the U.S. under the USMCA (TN visa), and their dependents (TD visa) must adjust their social media privacy settings. The instruction is clear: all social media profiles must be set to “public” or “open.” This requirement applies to both new and returning applicants in these categories.

The State Department views this online presence review as a standard part of the visa screening process. It helps them identify any issues that could make an applicant inadmissible to the United States. This expansion adds these three visa classifications to an existing list of visa types already subject to online scrutiny.

Previous Online Review Categories

Before this expansion, the U.S. Department of State already reviewed the online presence of applicants for several other visa categories. These included:

• F and M visas (for students)
• J visas (for exchange visitors)
• H-1B visas (for specialty occupations)
• K visas (for fiancés and spouses of U.S. citizens)
• Q visas (for cultural exchange visitors)
• R visas (for religious workers)
• S, T, and U visas (for informants, victims of trafficking, and victims of certain crimes)

The new requirement for I, TN, and TD visa applicants extends this screening process to a broader group of individuals seeking to enter the United States for specific professional or representative purposes.

A Separate Scrutiny of Work Histories

In addition to the social media profile requirement, a separate directive from the State Department, dated December 2, 2025, calls for closer examination of certain applicants’ work histories. This directive places special scrutiny on H-1B visa applicants, covering both new and repeat applicants. The focus is on work related to misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, and online safety.

U.S. officials have stated that if an applicant is found to have been involved in censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression within the United States, they could face an ineligibility finding. However, working in these fields alone does not automatically lead to denial. This measure aims to prevent individuals who have engaged in suppressing free expression from entering the country to work.

Impact of Increased Demand and Staffing on Wait Times

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported on the rising demand for visitor visas and the impact on interview wait times. Between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2025, visitor visa adjudications increased from 9.2 million to 11.7 million. During the same period, the average wait time for a visitor visa interview surged from 26 days to 201 days.

Compounding this issue, the number of consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas decreased from 1,342 in FY 2024 to 904 in FY 2025. This staffing reduction, combined with higher application volumes, has contributed to the significant lengthening of interview wait times. While these statistics specifically relate to visitor visas, they highlight broader challenges within the visa processing system that could affect all applicant types. The State Department’s immediate instruction for I, TN, and TD applicants is to ensure their social media profiles are publicly accessible.

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