The U.S. Department of State is expanding its online-presence review to three additional Nonimmigrant visaA visa for a temporary stay for a specific purpose, such as study, tourism, or employment, for example F-1, B-2 or H-1B.See it in the glossary categories beginning October 1, 2026.
Which visas are affected
According to the State Department’s September 18 announcement, the expanded review will apply to applicants for I visas for foreign media representatives, TN visas for eligible USMCA professionals, and TD visas for their dependents.
What applicants are told to do
To support the screening process, the Department instructs all I, TN and TD visa applicants to set the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public” or “open.”
The change expands online-presence vetting that the Department says already applies to several other nonimmigrant classifications, including F and M students, J exchange visitors, H-1B workers and certain dependents, K visa applicants, religious workers, and several other categories.
The Department says it uses available information during visa screening to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the United States, including applicants who may present national-security or public-safety concerns. Visa applicants must also establish that they qualify for the classification they are seeking and intend to comply with the terms of admission.
What does not change
The new screening expansion takes effect October 1, 2026. The announcement does not create a new visa classification or change the basic eligibility requirements for TN, TD or I visas, but it adds those applicants to the Department’s broader online-presence review framework.