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The Department of State (DOS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) both announced new policies this week related to "screening and vetting" of foreign nationals.
Below is a summary of each policy and what it could mean for impacted individuals and employers.
DOS expands social media screening to H-1B applicants and dependents
Effective December 15, 2025, all H‑1B visa applicants, as well as their H‑4 dependents, will be subject to an "online presence review" as part of the application process. This expands a process implemented earlier this year that previously applied to student and exchange‑visitor visa categories (F, M, J visas).
As part of the new requirement, applicants, and their dependent, will be required to set all of their social‑media profiles to "public."
This enhanced social media screening, as well as other extreme vetting policies implemented by the Trump administration, could lead to longer processing and visa wait times, as well as increased delays for USCIS and consular appointments.
USCIS reduces maximum validity period for some Employment Authorization Documents (EAD)
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services reduced the maximum validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) as of Dec 4. for multiple categories of noncitizens, including those with pending applications for adjustment of status. The maximum validity period of impacted EAD categories will now be 18 months (reduced from 5 years)
Other affected categories include those with refugee and asylum status; noncitizens granted withholding of deportation or removal; as well as individuals with pending applications for asylum or withholding of removal.
Further, the EAD validity period will now be limited to one year or the end date of the period, whichever is shorter, for noncitizens paroled as refugees; granted TPS; admitted entry with Parole; with pending TPS applications; and spouses of entrepreneur parole.
Similarly, DHS ended the 540-day automatic extension of employment authorization documents (EADs) for most noncitizens filing renewal applications on or after October 30.
Applicants and employers should ensure timely renewal filings to avoid employment gaps. The shorter EAD validity period is also expected to increase backlogs, delays, and wait times at USCIS.
Further Reading: DHS ending automatic extensions of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)
Other recently announced immigration policies
The announcements by the DOS and USCIS come amid a flurry of other recently released immigration-related policies from the Trump administration, including:
— Pausing the processing of all "USCIS Benefit Applications" for nationals of the 19 countries listed in the travel ban issued earlier this year (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela)
— "Re-reviewing" previously approved applications and benefits requests for individuals from the impacted travel ban countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021
— Ceasing all asylum decisions.
— Considering expanding the travel ban to include many additional countries, according to multiple reports. It is currently unclear what nations may be added to the ban, and/or when they will be announced.
The attorneys at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm continue to monitor these situations closely and will alert clients as circumstances evolve and more information becomes available.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
