The US Department of State now reviews the online presence of TN, TD and I visa applicants. The rule took effect on 1 October 2026, after the department announced the change on 18 September 2026. Every applicant in these three categories is instructed to set the privacy settings on all social media profiles to "public" or "open."
The change reaches Mexican professionals who use the TN route under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), their spouses and children on TD visas, and foreign journalists on I visas. If you have a TN or TD interview at a US consulate in Mexico this autumn, your social media accounts are now part of your visa file.
What the State Department announced
The notice, titled "Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants," says the department will broaden the online presence review to three more nonimmigrant classes from 1 October 2026:
- I visas for foreign media representatives
- TN visas for USMCA professionals
- TD visas for the spouses and unmarried children of TN professionals
The department says consular officers use every available source of information to identify applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including people seen as a threat to national security or public safety. The notice repeats a line from earlier rounds: a US visa is a privilege granted at the government's discretion, not an entitlement.
An online presence review covers more than your posts. According to the law firm Fragomen, the term includes your social media accounts and activity, plus information about you in online databases and on websites.
How the review grew since 2025
The 1 October change is the fourth round of the policy in a little over a year. Each round added new visa classes to the same instruction:
- 18 June 2025: F, M and J student and exchange visitor applicants
- 15 December 2025: H-1B workers and their H-4 dependents
- 30 March 2026: A-3, C-3 (domestic workers), G-5, H-3, H-4 dependents of H-3, K-1, K-2, K-3, Q, R-1, R-2, S, T and U applicants
- 1 October 2026: I, TN and TD applicants
Visitor visas (B-1 and B-2), L intracompany transferee visas, O visas and E treaty visas do not appear on the published list. Applicants in those classes still answer the standard social media questions on the DS-160 online visa form, but the public profile instruction does not apply to them under the current notice.
Who is affected and who is not
Mexican TN professionals
USCIS says Mexican citizens living outside the United States must obtain a TN visa at a US embassy or consulate in Mexico before seeking admission. To qualify, you need Mexican or Canadian citizenship, a profession listed in the USMCA, a position requiring a USMCA professional, a prearranged full-time or part-time job with a US employer, and the qualifications to practise your profession. The initial period of stay is up to three years.
Every new TN visa, and every TN visa renewal at a consulate, now passes through the online presence review. If your TN visa expires and you travel to Mexico, plan for the extra step before your return.
Canadian TN professionals
Canadian citizens do not need a TN visa. You establish eligibility at a designated US port of entry or a preclearance station with proof of Canadian citizenship, a letter from your US employer and a credentials evaluation where relevant. An employer also has the option to file Form I-129 with USCIS first. The State Department rule targets visa applications at consulates, so university advisers at MIT, Vanderbilt and the University of Michigan all note Canadian citizens are generally not affected.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers still question you at the border. Keep your employer letter, your job title and your online profiles consistent all the same.
TD spouses and children
TD status covers the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of a TN professional. USCIS says TD family members are allowed to study in the United States but are not permitted to work. Mexican TD dependents need a TD visa from a consulate. A Mexican TD dependent who travels abroad after the TD visa expires must apply for a new TD visa before returning, even after USCIS approves an extension of stay. Each of these consular applications now includes the online presence review.
Family members with a passport from another country, such as the non-Canadian spouse of a Canadian TN worker, generally apply for a TD visa at a consulate as well. Check your own situation before you book travel.
Foreign media on I visas
The I visa covers representatives of foreign press, radio, film and print media who travel to the United States to work in their profession. Journalists tend to publish a large volume of material online. Your bylines, public posts and professional profiles now form part of the record a consular officer reviews.
What you need to do before your interview
- List every account. The DS-160 asks for the social media identifiers you used on the listed platforms during the past five years. Include accounts you rarely use or have stopped using. Select "None" only when the answer is true.
- Switch every profile to public. Change the privacy settings on each profile to "public" or "open" before you submit your application. The State Department has not said how long profiles must stay public. Law firm Phillips Lytle says the common reading, based on the June 2025 guidance, is at least from before the interview until the visa is issued.
- Avoid sudden deletions. Phillips Lytle warns officers treat undisclosed accounts or restricted visibility as possible attempts to hide unfavourable information. Removing accounts or wiping posts right before an interview invites the same suspicion.
- Match your records. Your job title, employer and dates on professional networking sites should match your DS-160, your employer letter and your degree documents. For a TN case, your role must fit a USMCA profession, so a public job title far from your letter invites questions.
- Book early. Extra vetting often leads to administrative processing after the interview. Leave a buffer between your interview date and your US start date.
- Keep a record. Save your DS-160 confirmation page and a list of every handle you declared. You will need the same list for future renewals.
What officers look for
The 18 September notice does not set out the standard officers apply. Fragomen says the announcement gives no details on the review standard, and expects derogatory information to trigger more extensive security screening, longer delays and possible refusal.
Phillips Lytle says the stated purpose of the enhanced procedures since June 2025 is to assess whether applicants pose a threat to US national security, interests and safety, and to vet for antisemitic harassment and violence. The State Department also says each applicant must show eligibility for the visa requested, including a genuine intent to follow the terms of admission. For a TN applicant, this links your online profile to the temporary, professional nature of your job.
What employers should do now
US employers who hire Mexican TN professionals face longer and less predictable timelines. In an update published on 6 October 2026, the law firm Marks Gray advised employers to confirm the information in the DS-160, employment documents and online profiles is accurate and consistent, and to allow flexibility for visa processing delays.
- Brief new TN hires and their families on the public profile instruction before they book an appointment.
- Review your employer letter against the employee's public job title and duties.
- Check whether a petition or application is pending before an employee leaves the United States.
- Start year-end travel planning early, since appointment availability varies by consulate.
The wider October picture
The screening change arrived with the start of US fiscal year 2027 on 1 October 2026, when annual visa limits reset. Separate inflation-linked fee increases for ESTA, parole and TPS filings take effect on 16 October 2026. If you are a Mexican professional heading to a US employer, put the online presence review at the top of your checklist. Audit your accounts, make your profiles public, declare every handle on the DS-160 and give yourself extra time before your planned start date.
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