The Trump administration has reportedly canceled visa applicants’ appointments amid its plan to snoop on their social media accounts.
The State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, directed all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, as well as student and exchange visa applicants, last week to “adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public,’” so it could scrutinize their online activity.
Now, U.S. consulates in India have canceled and rescheduled some applicants’ visa appointments originally scheduled for December, according to law firm Fragomen, citing reports from foreign nationals.
Their appointments have reportedly been rescheduled for March 2026, with the consulates citing the State Department’s new social media vetting policy and the consequent slowdown in the processing of applications.
Fragomen reported that the cancellations have so far affected only India, but noted that H-1B and H-4 applicants everywhere should be prepared that their appointments might also be postponed.
In the notice on its new “online presence review,” which will begin on Dec. 15, the State Department declared that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision” and that “a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”
Meanwhile, a cable sent to U.S. consulates last week directed officers to review resumes and LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants to see if they were involved in the “censorship” of free speech, according to Reuters.
It follows President Donald Trump’s vow to carry out a “major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations” in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard members in D.C., allegedly by an Afghan national, last month.
The changes to the visa application process also come as Trump has grappled with MAGA backlash to his approach to H-1B visas, which allow U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers and are crucial for Trump’s Silicon Valley allies.
MAGA has pushed to end the H1-B visa program, saying it sidelines American workers and drives down wages. But while Trump controversially announced in September that companies would have to pay a $100,000 fee for each H-1B visa, he has stopped short of gutting the program.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the State Department for comment.
