Worldwide online vetting now mandatory for all H-1B, H-4 visa applicants: US embassy

The US Department of State has expanded online presence reviews to all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants worldwide as part of standard visa screening, the US Embassy in India said in a post on X.

“Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews to ALL H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening,” the embassy said, adding that the vetting is being conducted globally for applicants of all nationalities seeking H-1B and H-4 visas.

The move is aimed at addressing abuse of the H-1B programme while continuing to allow US companies to hire highly skilled temporary foreign workers, the post said.

The embassy clarified that US embassies and consulates will continue to accept and process H-1B and H-4 non-immigrant visa applications.

“We encourage applicants to apply as early as they can and anticipate additional processing time for these visa classifications,” it added.

The expanded screening is expected to impact applicants across countries, including India, which accounts for a significant share of H-1B and H-4 visa holders.