US ADDS THREE VISA CATEGORIES TO MANDATORY SOCIAL MEDIA SCREENING
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The United States Department of State has announced an expansion of its social media screening policy for visa applicants, adding three nonimmigrant visa categories to the review process from October 1, 2026.
Under the new policy, applicants for I, TN and TD visas will be required to set their social media accounts to “public” or “open” to allow consular officers to conduct the screening.
The department announced the change in an update issued on September 18, 2026.
The affected categories cover I visas for foreign media representatives, TN visas for eligible professionals from Canada and Mexico under the USMCA, and TD visas for their dependants.
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The expanded screening builds on online presence reviews already applied to several other visa categories, including student, exchange visitor, temporary worker, religious worker and certain diplomatic and official visas.
According to the Department of State, consular officers use all available information during visa screening to determine whether applicants may be inadmissible to the United States, including those considered potential national security or public safety risks.
The department said the same vetting standards apply across visa categories, stressing that visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision.
It added that the screening process is designed to determine whether applicants could pose a threat to Americans or US interests and whether they meet the requirements for the visa 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 noted that a US visa is granted at the discretion of the government and should be regarded as a privilege rather than an entitlement.
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