Applying for a TN, TD, or I Visa? Your Social Media Has to Be Public Starting October 1
If you have a TN, TD, or I visa interview coming up, there is a step you need to take before you walk in: unlock your social media. Starting October 1, 2026, the State Department requires applicants in these categories to set every social media profile to "public" or "open" so consular officers can review it as part of the visa decision.
This is not a new policy invented from nothing. It is the latest expansion of a program that already reaches most visa applicants, and the list of who it covers has grown four times in the past sixteen months.
Who is newly covered from October 1
TN visas — USMCA professionals from Canada and Mexico.
TD visas — spouses and children of TN visa holders.
I visas — foreign media representatives.
One important wrinkle for TN applicants: Canadian citizens usually get TN status directly from CBP at the border, without applying for a visa at a consulate first. The State Department’s October 1 announcement is written around the visa application and adjudication process, so it is Mexican TN applicants, who do apply for a visa at a consulate, who are most clearly and directly affected. If you are Canadian and seeking TN status at the border rather than through a consulate, the practical impact is less certain; keep your profiles public regardless, since guidance in this area has been changing quickly all year.
How we got here
This is the fourth expansion of the same screening program since mid-2025:
June 18, 2025 — F, M, and J visa applicants: students and exchange visitors.
December 15, 2025 — H-1B applicants and their H-4 dependents.
March 30, 2026 — 14 more categories at once: K-1, K-2, K-3 (fiancé(e) visas), R-1, R-2 (religious workers), H-3 and H-4 dependents of H-3 (trainees), Q, S, T, U, A-3, C-3, and G-5 (domestic workers and staff of diplomats and international organizations).
October 1, 2026 — TN, TD, and I visas.
If your visa category isn’t TN, TD, or I but appears in the list above, this already applies to you and has for months.
What "public" actually means here
The State Department’s instruction is broad: every social media profile, not just the platform where you are most active, set to fully public or open, so a consular officer can view it without you granting access. There is no official list of which platforms count, and past guidance describes reviewing "all available information," which has been read to include Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Snapchat.
Two details from earlier expansions of this same policy are worth carrying over, since nothing suggests they change for TN, TD, or I applicants:
Disclosure, not just visibility. Form DS-160 already requires listing every social media account used in the past five years, including ones you no longer use. An account you fail to disclose is a separate problem from an account you disclose but keep private.
Keep it open through the decision, not just the interview. Guidance for other categories has instructed applicants to keep profiles public through the full processing period, not only on interview day.
The State Department has not published the specific criteria officers use when reviewing content. It has said the goal is identifying applicants who may be inadmissible, including on national security or public safety grounds, and has stated that every visa adjudication is treated as a national security decision.
What happens if you don’t comply
Nothing in the announcement says a private profile results in automatic denial. But guidance on this program has consistently said that non-disclosure or restricted visibility can be treated as a red flag, potentially leading to delays, additional screening, or credibility concerns during adjudication. In practice, the safest approach is straightforward: don’t give an officer a reason to wonder what you’re hiding.
What to do before your interview
List every account. Go through every platform you have used in the past five years, active or not, and make sure each is disclosed accurately on Form DS-160.
Set profiles to public, not just "friends" or "followers only." Fully private and semi-private settings do not meet the instruction.
Review old content with fresh eyes. This is a reasonable moment to look through years-old posts, tags, and photos the way an unfamiliar reviewer would, not to delete your history, but to know what is visible.
Keep it public through your decision, not just for the interview appointment itself.
If you are a Canadian TN applicant at the border, confirm with your employer or an immigration attorney whether this specifically applies to your situation before assuming it does or doesn’t.
Frequently asked questions
Does this apply to TN applications at the US border?
The announcement is framed around the consular visa application process, which mainly affects Mexican TN applicants. Canadian TN seekers at the border are in a greyer area; treat your profiles as public to be safe.
What platforms count as "social media" here?
The State Department has not published an exact list. Guidance for other visa categories under this same program has referenced major platforms broadly, including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Snapchat.
Will a private account automatically get my visa denied?
The State Department has not said that. It has said non-disclosure or restricted visibility can be treated as a concern during adjudication, which could mean delays or added scrutiny.
Is this only for new applicants, or does it affect renewals too?
The announcement applies to visa applicants generally in the covered categories; if you are renewing through a new application in one of these categories on or after October 1, treat the requirement as applying to you.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Confirm your specific situation with a qualified immigration attorney before your interview.
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