On December 3, 2025 the U.S. State Department announced that it will expand its vetting and review of online social media accounts for H-1B applicants and their H-4 visa applicants. Similar vetting requirements were already announced in June 2025 for F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors and their dependents.
According to the State Department's announcement, visa applicants will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.” Expanded vetting will be used to identify applicants who are inadmissible to the U.S., including those who “pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety.”
Visa issuance or admission into the U.S. may be delayed or even refused if access to social media is not granted, or if the vetting process indicates that the visa applicant has engaged in activities inconsistent with the purpose of the visa or contrary to information provided on the visa application.
If you have any concerns about your social media presence or activity, or have any other travel related concerns, please contact your International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) advisor and consider taking these additional steps:
- Review ISSS's Assessing Travel Safety page for information about travel and visa-related risks.
- If going on Brown-related travel, register your travel with TravelSafe, as required under University policy. You may be eligible to request a legal consultation with an immigration law firm contracted by the University if you have specific travel-related concerns.
- Review guidance from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) on traveling with electronic devices, and contact OIT for resources and assistance, including access to loaner laptops or other devices, when undertaking university-related travel.