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US Visa Screening: What Indian Journalists Must Know About Social Media

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Indian journalists, photographers, video journalists, editors and other media professionals travelling to the United States for reporting assignments face an additional visa-screening requirement from October 1, 2026: the US State Department has expanded its online-presence review to cover applicants for the I visa, the category used by representatives of foreign media.

Under the revised guidance, applicants in the I visa category must set the privacy settings on all their social-media profiles to “public” or “open” to facilitate screening, the State Department announced on September 18. The change also covers applicants for TN and TD visas, which apply to certain professionals from Canada and Mexico and their dependants.

For Indian media professionals, the practical implications extend beyond the visa interview. Applicants should understand what the government has explicitly required, how the I visa applies to their work, and what remains unspecified about the assessment of online activity.

The new requirement does not mean that a critical article, political opinion, photograph or social-media post automatically results in a visa refusal. The department has not published a rule saying that any particular category of lawful expression, by itself, disqualifies a journalist from receiving a visa.

What exactly has changed?

The State Department’s September 18 announcement made the effective date October 1, 2026, for the expanded online-presence review covering I, TN and TD visa applicants.

The department said it uses available information to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the United States, including people considered a threat to national security or public safety. Its stated approach is to examine whether applicants qualify for the visa they seek and intend to comply with the conditions of admission.

The department described its position in the announcement as follows: “Every visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision.” It also stated that a US visa is a discretionary benefit rather than an entitlement.

The expansion builds on an existing programme, not a completely new system of social-media scrutiny. The State Department had already extended online-presence review to multiple categories, including H-1B workers and their dependants, students and exchange visitors, as well as certain other nonimmigrant visa applicants. The I visa was added to the covered categories from October 1.

In practical terms, applicants should distinguish between two requirements:

  • Providing social-media identifiers: US visa application forms have requested social-media identifiers from most applicants since 2019.

  • Making profiles public or open: The expanded guidance explicitly instructs applicants in the covered categories to change the privacy settings on all their social-media profiles to public or open.

The second requirement is the important change for foreign-media applicants. It makes online material more accessible for government review during visa screening.

Which Indian media professionals are affected?

The I visa is intended for representatives of foreign media travelling temporarily to the United States to perform work in their profession. The State Department’s guidance covers the press, radio, film and print industries, with eligibility depending on the applicant’s role, employer and purpose of travel.

That means the change may be relevant to a broad range of Indian media professionals.

Reporters and correspondents

Indian newspaper, television, digital-news and wire-service journalists travelling to cover US elections, government policy, diplomatic developments, business or international affairs should check whether their assignment qualifies for an I visa and ensure that their online profiles meet the stated privacy requirement.

Photographers and video journalists

Photojournalists, camera operators and documentary professionals may qualify when their work forms part of eligible foreign-media news gathering or informational production. Their visa classification depends on the actual activity, not merely their job title.

Editors, producers and digital-media staff

Editors and producers travelling to work on qualifying foreign-media assignments should confirm their eligibility with the relevant US consulate or immigration counsel. Online publishers and journalists working primarily through digital platforms are not automatically excluded from the I visa category.

The State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual specifically recognises that representatives of organisations regularly disseminating journalistic information through blogs or other electronic-media platforms may qualify for I classification, provided they satisfy the relevant requirements, including the foreign-media organisation’s home-office requirement.

However, not every person employed by a media company automatically qualifies. Someone travelling to the United States for ordinary commercial work, advertising, entertainment production or a non-reporting activity may need a different visa category. The purpose of travel and the nature of the work are central to the classification.

What will consular officers examine, and what is not specified?

The State Department says it uses available information to assess visa eligibility, national security and public safety. But its September announcement does not provide a detailed public checklist identifying which types of social-media posts will trigger additional scrutiny, how individual posts will be weighted or how officers will resolve conflicting information found online.

That leaves several important questions unanswered for journalists.

  • Political criticism: The published guidance does not say that criticism of the US government, its president or its foreign policy automatically disqualifies an applicant.

  • Published reporting: Investigative articles, editorial commentary and reporting on controversial subjects are not identified in the announcement as automatic grounds for refusal.

  • Old posts and reposts: The announcement does not set out a specific time limit for the material reviewed or a separate standard for reposted content.

  • Private accounts: Applicants in the covered categories are explicitly instructed to make all social-media profiles public or open. They should not assume that an account is exempt simply because it is rarely used.

  • Visa decisions: The guidance does not promise approval to applicants who comply with the privacy requirement. Officers still assess eligibility under US immigration law.

These distinctions matter because online screening and visa adjudication are related but separate steps. Making profiles public facilitates review; it does not guarantee a visa or establish that any particular post will determine the outcome.

There is also a broader press-freedom concern. In July 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticised a separate US government rule limiting the period international correspondents can remain in the country on I visas.

“Under these restrictions, the Trump administration has moved to—yet again—deny access based on its individual policing of a journalist’s reporting,” said Jose Zamora, CPJ’s regional director for the Americas.

The statement concerned the separate restrictions on journalists’ permitted stay, rather than the October social-media screening expansion. The two measures should not be conflated, but together they form part of the changing environment that foreign correspondents must navigate when planning US assignments.

What Indian journalists should check before their visa appointment

Applicants should prepare for the new requirement well before appearing at a US embassy or consulate. The following checklist focuses on practical compliance, not on predicting how a consular officer will assess individual content.

Pre-appointment checklist

The State Department advises applicants to consult the instructions issued by the embassy or consulate where they will apply. Its foreign-media visa guidance also says freelance journalists and journalists working under contract may need to provide a valid contract of employment. Additional documentation can be requested to establish eligibility.

Applicants should also understand the difference between a visa and permission to enter the United States. A visa permits travel to a US port of entry to request admission; it does not guarantee entry.

Official guidance is available from the US State Department’s expanded screening announcement and its visa guidance for foreign media representatives.

The bottom line

For Indian journalists, the October 1 expansion creates a clear compliance obligation: applicants for I visas must make their social-media profiles public or open to facilitate online-presence screening.

What remains unclear is how officers will assess particular kinds of content, how much weight online material will carry in individual decisions and whether further operational guidance will be issued. The State Department’s published announcement does not establish that a critical post or a controversial report automatically leads to refusal.

Journalists should focus on meeting the stated requirements, ensuring that their application and professional documentation are accurate, and checking case-specific questions with the relevant consulate or a qualified US immigration lawyer.

For news organisations, the change also warrants practical preparation: correspondents should be briefed before assignments are confirmed, application timelines should allow for possible additional processing, and editors should avoid promising that a visa will be issued by a particular date.

The central distinction is between what the government has formally required and what applicants may fear could happen. Compliance is necessary, but no applicant can infer the outcome of a visa decision from the privacy setting of an account—or from a single social-media post alone.

Afghanistan: New restrictions on women nationals working for UN, put aid efforts at risk

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These measures are putting life-saving humanitarian assistance and other essential services for hundreds of thousands of people affected by a recent deadly earthquake at risk, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) warned in a statement.

On Sunday, the de facto security forces prevented women Afghan staff members and contractors from entering UN compounds in the capital, Kabul.

More offices affected

This was extended to field offices across the country, following written or verbal notifications from Taliban leadership.

Furthermore, security forces are visibly present at the entrances of UN premises in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif to enforce the measure.

“This is particularly concerning in view of continuing restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls,” the statement said.

Since returning to power four years ago, the Taliban have issued numerous edicts impacting women’s rights such as prohibiting girls from attending secondary school and banning women from most jobs, including working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Travel also curtailed

The UN has also received reports of security forces attempting to bar women national staff from travelling to field locations, including to support women and girls as part of the response to the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan last month.

They are also being blocked from accessing operational sites for Afghan returnees from Iran and Pakistan.

Lift the restrictions

The UN is engaging the de facto authorities and calls for the immediate lifting of restrictions to continue critical support to the Afghan people, noting that the current actions disregard “previously communicated arrangements”.

“Such arrangements have enabled the United Nations to deliver critical assistance across the country, through a culturally sensitive and principled approach ensuring the delivery of assistance by women, for women,” the statement said.

In the interim, UNAMA and UN agencies, funds and programmes in Afghanistan, have implemented operational adjustments to protect staff and assess options for continuing their essential work.

The statement concluded by recalling that the prohibition on the movement of UN staff and the obstruction of UN operations is a breach of international rules on the privileges and immunities of the organization’s personnel. 

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Gaza: Looming offensive and restrictions on humanitarians

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In the past 24 hours in Gaza, there have been more reports of casualties in shootings along aid convoy routes, where desperate crowds of civilians often wait to take supplies from the back of trucks.

Meanwhile, hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups are also escalating. In the past 24 hours, air strikes and shelling have occurred across five neighbourhoods in Gaza City, with reports of tanks and ground troops advancing.  

UN and partner officials in Gaza warned on Monday that the Israeli offensive would result in further mass displacement and “have a horrific impact on people already exhausted, malnourished, bereaved, displaced, and deprived of the basics needed for survival.”

Additionally, starvation persists in the enclave as supplies remain insufficient and inaccessible.  

Restrictions on international NGOs

OCHA also reported that the new requirements for international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are preventing many humanitarian partners from bringing supplies into Gaza.  

To secure registration and bring in materials, international NGOs must share sensitive personal information about Palestinian employees, often contrary to their countries’ domestic legislation, which affects their ability to protect civilians.

Upcoming humanitarian work  

The UN and its NGO partners stressed that their teams will remain in Gaza City to provide life-saving support, reminding parties of their obligation to protect civilians, including humanitarian workers, and safeguard humanitarian infrastructure.

“Every day and every night, aid workers in Gaza courageously put themselves in harm’s way to keep others alive. At the same time, they also struggle to feed themselves and feed their own families,” said Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, reporting on the situation in the context of World Humanitarian Day at Tuesday’s daily press briefing in New York.

“The world cannot look away while attacks on aid workers and on the very people they try to help have become routine.”

The humanitarian community welcomes the Israeli announcement that tents and shelter equipment will be allowed into Gaza, aiming to utilise this lifting of the ban to bring in tents, shelter materials and other items into the Gaza Strip. However, the UN and partners said it is deeply troubling that this lifting is in connection with a looming offensive.

They called for a significant scale-up of private sector operations and a full facilitation of deliveries from local and international humanitarian organizations, with supplies allowed to enter through all crossings. 

Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions on women’s rights intensify

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The mission continued to receive reports that Afghan women are being denied the opportunity to join the workforce, are unable to access services without a male relative while girls are still deprived of their right to education.

Since the Taliban took over the country from the democratically-elected Government in August 2021, women and girls have been systemically excluded from equal participation in society, the report confirms.

UNAMA, whose mandate includes monitoring human rights, also reported public floggings, shrinking civic space, and brutal attacks on former government officials.

Beauty salons shuttered

Officials have reportedly shut down beauty salons run by women in their homes and women’s radio stations in various provinces, UNAMA said.

In the province of Kandahar, de facto inspectors asked shopkeepers in a market to report women unaccompanied by a guardian (mahram) and deny them entry into their shops.

At one hospital, authorities ordered staff not to provide care to unaccompanied female patients.

Forced conversions

Taliban authorities have also increased enforcement of repressive restrictions on media outlets, ramped up corporal punishment, and the clampdown on religious freedom and re-education.

Between 17 January and 3 February, in Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan, at least 50 Ismaili men were taken from their homes at night and forced to convert to Sunni Islam under the threat of violence, the report details.

More than 180 people, including women and girls, have been flogged for the offences of adultery and practicing homosexuality during the reporting period, in public venues attended by Taliban officials.

Taliban claim support for women’s rights

Despite documented evidence from the report that de facto authorities are continuing to violate international norms and rights protections, Taliban officials disagree.

“Ensuring the dignity, honor, and Sharia-based entitlements of women remains a paramount priority for the Islamic Emirate,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post on March 8, International Women’s Day.

“All fundamental rights afforded to Afghan women have been safeguarded in strict accordance with Islamic Sharia law, as well as the cultural and traditional frameworks of Afghan society,” he added.

International legal action

UNAMA has called for action to restore women’s and girls’ rights at the international level.

In January, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Taliban Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqan over persecution on gender grounds, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.

The Taliban rejected the ruling, citing national sovereignty and religious traditions.

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Israel’s restrictions on UN agencies in Gaza in spotlight at world court

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The ICJ, which sits in The Hague and is the UN’s top court, is expected to hear from 40 States and four international organizations in proceedings slated to last all week.

Representing Secretary-General António Guterres, UN Legal Counsel Elinor Hammarskjöld reiterated his many calls for a ceasefire, for humanitarian aid to reach all people in need and for all hostages to be freed.

A total of 13 UN entities are present in Gaza, Ms. Hammarskjöld noted, adding that 295 UN personnel have died in Gaza since the war began on 7 October 2023, following Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel.

Legal opinion

The UN legal counsel insisted on the special protections and immunities of UN agencies and personnel which it needs to implement its mandated activities all over the world, including in the OPT.

These protections also apply during armed conflict, Ms. Hammarskjöld said, before highlighting Israel’s obligations as the occupying power under international law.

“The overarching obligation [is] to administer the territory for the benefit of the local population and “to agree to and facilitate relief schemes”, she said “In the specific context of the current situation in the OPT, these obligations entail allowing and facilitating all relevant UN entities to carry out those activities for the benefit of the local population.”

The purpose of the hearings at the ICJ all this week is to establish what’s known as an “advisory opinion” on Israel’s obligations as the occupying power in Gaza and the wider OPT, in accordance with the UN Charter.

It follows a vote at the UN General Assembly in December where Member States voted 137 to 12 to seek the view of the ICJ’s 15 judges, amid ongoing Israeli bombardment and dramatic aid shortages across Gaza.

Although the ICJ judges’ advisory opinion is not binding – as opposed to the legal disputes between countries on which it rules (so-called “contentious cases”) – it provides clarity on legal questions.

Once the court has issued its opinion, the General Assembly would be open to pick up the matter again and decide on further action.

UNRWA shut out

Welcoming the hearings, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini, insisted that aid agencies were working “to address overwhelming needs”.

The UNRWA Commissioner-General explained that the Israeli Parliament’s widely condemned “no-contact” policy banning any coordination with UNRWA official have obstructed the delivery of essential relief services and aid.

The move is particularly significant because UNRWA is the largest aid agency in Gaza, where it has provided health, education and other vital public services for decades.

But since these restrictions came into effect at the end of January, UNRWA international staff have not received visas to enter Israel, Mr. Lazzarini said.

Inside Gaza, meanwhile, ordinary Gazans continue to face desperate food shortages linked to the 2 March decision by Israel to seal the enclave’s borders.

“Today people are not surviving in Gaza, those that aren’t being killed with bombs and bullets are slowly dying,” said Jonathan Whittall, local Head of Office for the UN aid coordination wing, OCHA. He insisted that humanitarian agencies are unable to meet soaring needs following Israel’s decision to cut all commercial and relief supplies.

“People here are being suffocated,” he maintained. “What we see around us is endless suffering under a total and complete blockade. A total closure that’s now lasted for almost two months while airstrikes, ground operations are intensifying and displacement orders that are pushing people out of their homes are increasing.”

Witness statements

The following Gaza testimonies have been provided by UNRWA:

Mona, a grandmother living in an UNRWA shelter in Gaza City:

“We only eat one meal a day, I go to sleep thinking about what we will eat tomorrow and how we will provide…I have enough flour for several days. I try to preserve it by making small loaves so that it lasts for a few more days. When children get hungry, I give them my loaf. I no longer take medicine, even if it is available, because treatment requires good food, and that is not available now.”

Wafaa, whose oldest child is seven and whose youngest is three, speaking from an UNRWA school in Gaza City:

“I have two cans of beans, some cans of peas, two cans of chickpeas, some duqqa (a spice mix), and a few kilos of flour that will only last for four days…The flour is mouldy and smells bad, but I can’t complain. When will this nightmare end?”

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New Year Celebrations: Delhi Police imposes traffic restrictions at CP

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1952 – Republic Day Cultural Parade In Connaught Place , Delhi ((Photo Division, PIB )

The Delhi Police on Thursday announced deployment of more than 18,000 personnel across the national capital ahead of New Year’s celebrations on Saturday night with usual traffic restrictions at Connaught Place from 8 p.m. onwards, besides testing drunk drivers.

The traffic will be restricted to enter Connaught Place and only authorised vehicles will be allowed there. Mobile teams will also be placed for checking in the city. Special arrangements have been made for the areas in the vicinity of Connaught Place and no vehicular traffic shall be allowed in its inner, middle, or outer circles, except for those carrying valid passes.

“The commuters coming towards Connaught Place can park their vehicles near Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk, Mandi House, Minto Road on D.D. Upadhyay Marg and Press Road area, Panchkuian Road, K.G. Marg-Ferozshah Road Crossing on Copernicus Lane as well as KG Marg towards C hexagon, round about Bengali Market,” the advisory said.

Otherwise, elaborate traffic arrangements have been made at and around India Gate for regulation of traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular. In case of heavy pedestrian movement, vehicles may not be allowed to go through C-Hexagon, India Gate area and diverted.

“Visitors are advised to use public transport as there is a shortage of parking space at India Gate. In view of large gatherings expected at Delhi Zoo resulting in congestion on Mathura Road, the general public/motorists are advised to avoid Bhairon Road, Mathura Road between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pragati Maidan,” the advisory read.

Traffic cops said that strict action will be taken against drunk driving, stunt biking, over-speeding, sig-zag, reckless, and dangerous driving. Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Dependra Pathak said that over 16,500 personnel from local police will be deployed across the city and more than 20 companies from outside forces.

“This time, there will be anti-terror measures in high footfall areas where local police, in real-time coordination with the Special Cell, have made the arrangements. Women safety will also be our focus area and more than 2,500 women personnel will be deployed in the city,” he said.

Pathak said that more than 1,600 pickets, over 1,200 mobile patrolling vehicles and 2,074 bikes will be deployed, mostly to keep vigil at footfall and celebrations areas in two shifts from 4 to 5 p.m. till early morning and both the shifts will overlap each other.

People may assemble for the celebration at Pitampura, Model Town, Hudson Lane, Mukherjee Nagar, Karol Bagh, Cross River Mall in Shahdara, Connaught Place, New Friends Colony, Lajpat Nagar Central Market, M&N Block Market of Greater Kailash, Defence Colony Club, INA Market, South Extension Market, Lodhi Institutional Area, Hauz Khas Village, Qutub Minar, Chattarpur, Vegas Mall in Dwarka, Janakpuri District Centre, Punjabi Bagh, and Tilak Nagar Market.