H-1B visa: Couple shares experience after same-day interview amid social media vetting - Man refused, wife approved

A Reddit user shared his account of a visa interview at the US Consulate in Chennai, which took place as authorities began social media vetting for H-1B and H-4 visa applicants.

The individual had applied for an H-1B visa renewal and said he was among a limited group whose applications were processed instead of being deferred to the next year. He reached the consulate at 8.30 am and said the interview concluded by around 9 am.

How did the social media vetting unfold?

Following security checks and fingerprint verification, applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas were directed into a separate queue. While waiting, the Reddit user said he realised that they might be among the first applicants to experience the new screening process.

“After security and identity verification (fingerprints), they separated the H1B/H4 folks into a specific line. While standing there, it hit me ... We are probably the select few (read: guinea pigs) who will pilot the new vetting process. Unfortunately, that theory held up,” he wrote in his Reddit post.

What happened to the applicant ahead of him?

Before describing his own interview, the Reddit user recounted the experience of a woman standing ahead of him in the H-1B/H-4 line. After routine questions about her job, the visa officer reportedly asked her twice whether all her social media accounts were set to ‘public’.

She was then issued a 221(g) slip, which came as a surprise to her. According to the Redditor, the officer informed her that additional time would be required to review her application.

How did his own interview proceed?

The Reddit user said his interview followed a similar pattern. After standard questions related to his employment, the officer asked about his social media profiles and whether they were ‘public’.

He was then asked if he had been following the news. After responding in the affirmative, he said he was handed a white 221(g) slip and told his case would undergo “administrative processing”.

What does a 221(g) slip mean?

The Redditor explained that 221(g) slips come in different colours — white, blue, pink and yellow — each carrying a specific meaning. A white slip, he noted, merely indicates that additional time is required to process the application and does not amount to an outright rejection.

According to him, the visa officer retained his passport, and the Consular Electronic Application Centre (CEAC) website currently reflects his application status as “REFUSED”.

What about his wife’s visa status?

The applicant also said his wife had faced a separate situation, as she applied for a US visa on the same day.

“My wife’s status transitioned from REFUSED to APPROVED. Hyderabad Consulate. Another Reddit user also verified this in a direct message regarding the Hyderabad Consulate,” he wrote in an update later that day.

Mint has not independently verified the authenticity of his claim.