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US extends social media screening rules for more visa applicants from today: What changes and who is affected?
US expands visa application online presence review from October 1, adding I, TN, and TD categories.
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The United States is expanding its online presence review for visa applicants from October 1, bringing three additional nonimmigrant visa categories under enhanced screening. The US Department of State said applicants for I, TN and TD visas will be subject to the review and instructed them to set the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to “public” or “open.”
The change does not introduce social media screening into the US visa process for the first time. Instead, it expands a system that already applies to several visa categories. The State Department said the latest expansion is part of its broader screening and vetting process.
What changes from October 1?
From October 1, the online presence review will cover applicants for:
I visas, issued to representatives of foreign media
TN visas, for qualifying USMCA professionals
TD visas, for dependents of TN professionals
The State Department has specifically instructed applicants in these three categories to make all their social media profiles “public” or “open” to facilitate the vetting process.
The TN category is used by qualifying Canadian and Mexican professionals seeking temporary admission to the US for certain professional activities under the USMCA. TD visas cover eligible dependents of TN professionals.
The I category covers foreign media representatives travelling to the US in their professional capacity.
Was social media screening already in place?
Yes. The October 1 change expands an existing online-presence review rather than creating an entirely new requirement.
The State Department's current list already includes several categories, including F and M student visas, H-1B and certain H-3 temporary workers and their dependents, J exchange visitors, K fiancé and dependent visas, Q cultural exchange participants, R religious workers and S, T and U visas. Certain diplomatic and official visa categories are also covered.
The State Department began requesting social media identifiers from most immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants in 2019. It says the information is used as part of its screening and vetting process.
The department says it uses available information to identify applicants who may be inadmissible, including people who pose national security or public safety threats. It describes every visa adjudication as a national security decision and says applicants must establish that they qualify for the visa and intend to comply with its conditions.
Why has the policy attracted criticism?
The expansion comes amid wider concerns over the Trump administration's approach to screening foreign nationals and tightening US entry requirements.
One separate proposal has drawn particular attention. In December 2025, US Customs and Border Protection proposed requiring people applying through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, to provide social media information from the previous five years. ESTA is used by eligible travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries visiting the US for short stays without a traditional visa.
The proposal also sought additional information including phone numbers used over five years, email addresses used over 10 years and information about close family members. Social media information had previously been an optional part of the ESTA application, according to CNN's reporting on the proposal.
That proposal is separate from the October 1 visa change and was still a proposal, rather than a rule already in effect, in the latest reporting available on its status.
What are travel industry concerns?
The broader social-media proposal has prompted criticism from travel and digital-rights groups.
The World Travel & Tourism Council warned that requiring social media information from Visa Waiver Program travellers could discourage some international visitors from travelling to the US. A survey of more than 4,500 international travellers cited by CNN found that one-third said they would be somewhat or much less likely to visit the US if the proposed requirement were introduced.
WTTC president Gloria Guevara described the request for social media information as “intrusive” and warned that travellers had other destinations to choose from.
The US Travel Association has also raised questions about whether the proposed measure would meaningfully improve security and warned of a possible “chilling effect” on travel.
Digital-rights organisation Electronic Frontier Foundation also criticised the ESTA proposal. EFF's Sophia Cope said it could “exacerbate civil liberties harms”, according to the BBC.
How does this fit into Trump's wider immigration policy?
Social media checks form part of a broader expansion of screening of foreign nationals under the Trump administration.
The administration has previously expanded online presence reviews for student and other visa applicants. The State Department has instructed certain applicants to make their social media profiles public, while consular officers have been directed to examine online activity as part of the vetting process.
The administration has consistently framed such measures around national security and public safety. At the same time, travel industry groups and digital-rights advocates have questioned their potential impact on privacy, travel demand and civil liberties.
The October 1 change therefore represents another expansion of an already existing system: I, TN and TD applicants are being added to the categories subject to enhanced online-presence review, rather than all travellers suddenly being subjected to a new social media rule.
