US visa rules tighten March 30
U.S. immigration policy changes effective March 30 expand social‑media screening for more visa categories and introduce a $15,000 visa bond for applicants from select countries, raising costs and process complexity for interns and early‑career hires. The move is being paired with wider global visa tightening in several countries. (visahelp.us.com)(hindustantimes.com)
Effective March 30, the U.S. Department of State will expand its “online presence review” to include A‑3, C‑3 (if a domestic worker), 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 nonimmigrant visa classifications. (travel.state.gov) The expansion is additive to existing coverage of H‑1B and F, M, and J student/exchange visas and explicitly instructs affected applicants to set all social‑media accounts to “public” or “open” for consular officers’ review. (travel.state.gov) The State Department’s visa‑bond pilot has been expanded to cover a total of 50 countries, with 12 additional nations (including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia) added and the new entries listed with implementation dates (many effective April 2, 2026). (travel.state.gov) Under the pilot, consular officers may require refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 for nationals of listed countries applying for B‑1/B‑2 visas; applicants directed to post a bond must submit DHS Form I‑352 and pay only through the Department of the Treasury’s Pay.gov portal. (travel.state.gov) Visa categories that commonly host interns and early‑career placements—H‑3 trainees, J‑1 exchange visitors (including intern and trainee programs), F/M student statuses with CPT/OPT activity, and H‑1B early‑career hires—are explicitly named in the expansion, bringing those internship and trainee routes under broader online vetting rules as of March 30. (travel.state.gov) The visa‑bond pilot was established by a Temporary Final Rule published Aug. 5, 2025, runs for 12 months, requires bonded travelers to enter and exit through designated ports to qualify for refunds, and the State Department warns that posting a bond does not guarantee visa issuance and that unsolicited payments will not be returned. (federalregister.gov)
