Insights & Updates on EB-1A Green Card and U.S. Immigration

With the pomp of the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the U.S. Government is also ramping up screening and vetting, along with introducing some brave new measures. One such remarkable measure includes President Trump and the White House Task Force announcing a plan to deploy more than 400 additional consular officers, along with increased staffing at the high-demand agencies.

For years, visa interviews focused on paperwork, intent, and credentials. Today, however, your smartphone may matter as much as your passport. According to immigration attorneys cited by The Times of India and other news outlets, U.S. border officers are increasingly scrutinising the social media activity of foreign nationals, including holders of H-1 (speciality occupation), H-2 (temporary workers), and H-3 (trainees) visas.

A handful of H-1B and H-4 visa holders in the US are reportedly receiving emails from the consulate stating their visas have been prudentially revoked. This is happening almost concurrently with the postponement of H-1B visa interviews. Generally, these emails have caused quite a lot of stir and panic among the applicants. Many visa holders have found it difficult to make sense of the phrase: ‘Prudentially revoked.’

On December 12, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced a new photo policy aimed at fortifying identity verification and reducing fraud in the immigration system.

In an important advisory that has grabbed international headlines, the U.S. Embassy in India has issued a clear and firm warning to visa applicants: if the primary purpose of your travel is to give birth in the United States to secure citizenship for your child, your tourist visa application will be denied.

In a major development that has caught the attention of global travellers and immigration watchers alike, the United States is proposing new travel screening requirements that would dramatically expand the digital footprint required from many foreign visitors. However, Indian tourists will not be subject to the controversial social media vetting rule.

International tourists intending to travel to the U.S. could also face social media scrutiny, which, according to several outlets, can now reach up to five years of social media history screening and vetting.

At GCEB1, we have already covered the new social media vetting rule implemented by the USCIS. However, its impact could be felt far and beyond, causing panic and freezing visa appointments.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted on Thursday that the U.S. plans to expand the number of countries restricted by the travel ban to more than 30. She was also asked in an interview with Fox News to confirm whether the Trump administration would extend the travel ban list to around 32 countries.

In a recent Newsroom update on 5th December, Thursday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a centralized establishment to fortify screening, and in their own language, ‘to keep America safe’.

The Trump administration has recently introduced yet another bottleneck into its immigration policy. On Thursday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revised its policy manual to sharply restrict the length of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for several categories of immigrants.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration imposed a fresh measure of vetting on the H-1B visa, which remains the latest to date. The crux of this vetting is stated in an internal State Department memo, saying that anyone involved in “censorship” of free speech would be considered a potential rejection.