US To Expand Online Review To Foreign Journalists, Professionals From Canada, Mexico
The US will expand social media screening for I, TN and TD visa applicants from October 1 as part of its online presence review.
The United States will expand its online presence review for visa applicants starting October 1, bringing exchange visitors, religious occupants and foreign media representatives under social media screening.
The US department of state said applicants for I, TN and TD nonimmigrant visas will be required to set the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to “public” or “open” to support the vetting process. The change will take effect on October 1.
The I visa is used by foreign media representatives, including eligible journalists, while TN visas are available to qualifying professionals from Canada and Mexico under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). TD visas are issued to eligible dependents of TN visa holders.
The move is an expansion of a social media screening system that has already been widened several times. F-1 and M-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors, along with their relevant dependents, were already subject to online presence reviews. In December 2025, the state department extended the requirement to all H-1B applicants and H-4 dependents.
In March 2026, the review expanded further to include H-3 trainees, certain H-4 dependants, K-1, K-2 and K-3 applicants, Q cultural exchange participants, R religious workers, S, T and U visa applicants, and certain diplomatic and official visa categories. Applicants in these categories were also instructed to make their social media profiles public or open.
The policy does not cover every nonimmigrant visa category. Major categories not listed under the online presence review include B-1/B-2 visitor visas, E treaty trader/investor visas, L intra-company transfer visas, O visas for people with extraordinary ability and P visas for athletes and entertainers. The State Department's visa directory lists these as separate nonimmigrant categories.
However, several B-1/B-2 holding tourists have been asked to show their social media accounts and handles once they land in the United States, with some even being taken for additional questioning. A US appeals court has also issued statements that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers can check travelers' mobile phones and social media, without a warrant or even probable cause.
The department said visa decisions involve national security considerations and that applicants must demonstrate eligibility for the visa and a genuine intention to follow the conditions of admission.
