U.S. Expands Social Media Screening to More Visa Applicants

The U.S. Department of State is expanding its online presence review to additional nonimmigrant visa categories, adding I, TN, and TD visa applicants to enhanced screening beginning October 1, 2026. The department is also instructing applicants in these categories to set the privacy settings on all social media profiles to “public” or “open.”

Who Is Affected by the New Expansion?

The State Department announced the change on September 18, 2026. Starting October 1, the expanded screening will cover applicants for:

• I visas: Foreign media representatives
• TN visas: Eligible Canadian and Mexican professionals working in qualifying USMCA professions
• TD visas: Eligible dependents of TN professionals

According to the department, these applicants should make all of their social media profiles publicly accessible as part of the online presence review process. The government says it uses available sources of information during visa screening to determine applicants’ eligibility and identify potential national security or public safety concerns.

Many Students and Workers Are Already Covered

The October 1 change does not introduce online presence screening for the first time. Instead, it adds I, TN, and TD applicants to a broader list of visa categories already subject to the policy.

The State Department says online presence review already applies to F-1 and M-1 students, F-2 and M-2 dependents, J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors, H-1B workers, certain H-4 dependents, H-3 trainees, and several other nonimmigrant classifications.

Other categories listed by the department include certain diplomatic and official visa applicants, K visas, Q cultural exchange participants, R religious workers and their dependents, and S, T, and U classifications.

For international students, this means the September 2026 announcement does not represent a new social media screening requirement for F-1 applicants. F-1 students were already included in the existing screening framework.

What TN Applicants Should Know

TN status is available to qualifying Canadian and Mexican citizens working in designated professional occupations under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The visa process differs depending on nationality. Mexican citizens generally need a TN visa to request admission to the United States as USMCA professionals. Canadian citizens generally do not need a TN visa and may apply for TN status at a U.S. port of entry, although qualified Canadians can apply for a TN visa in certain circumstances.

Because the September announcement specifically refers to TN and TD visa applicants, Canadian citizens entering in TN status without applying for a visa should distinguish their situation from applicants going through the consular visa process.

What Applicants Should Do

Applicants in the newly covered I, TN, and TD visa categories should follow the State Department’s instruction to set all social media profiles to public or open when applying for a visa on or after October 1, 2026.

Applicants should also follow instructions from the U.S. embassy or consulate handling their case, since visa application procedures can vary by location.

Sources

U.S. Department of State — “Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants,” September 18, 2026
Official State Department announcement

U.S. Department of State — “Visas for Canadian and Mexican USMCA Professional Workers”
Official TN visa guidance