Major Shifts in U.S. Immigration Policy: Family Parole Programs Ended & Social Media Screening Begins for H-1B and H-4 Consular Visa Applicants

DHS Ends Family Reunification Parole Programs

On December 12, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is terminating all categorical Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs for citizens of Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras, including their immediate family members.

These programs allowed certain relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to enter the United States on parole while awaiting completion of the immigrant visa process.

DHS described the move as an effort to end what they described as the “abuse of humanitarian parole,” arguing that these programs allowed individuals to bypass traditional immigration procedures without sufficient vetting. Under the new policy, parole will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

The termination takes effect December 15, 2025, and parole for individuals already admitted under FRP will generally expire on January 14, 2026, unless they have a pending Form I-485 Application to Adjust Status that is postmarked or electronically filed on or before December 15 and it is still pending on January 14, 2026.

If an individual has a pending Form I-485, their parole will remain valid until either their period of parole expires or USCIS makes a final decision on their pending Form I-485, whichever is sooner. If the Form I-485 is denied, the period of parole will be terminated, and they will be required to depart the United States or seek relief through alternative legal pathways.

Employment authorization based solely on parole will be revoked as the programs wind down. Those affected will be notified of the termination of their parole period and of the revocation of their employment authorization.

This policy is distressing particularly for families hoping to reunite through expedited parole programs. This change will prolong separation for families waiting in long backlogs for immigrant visa consular processing.

Expanded Screening & Vetting for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants

At the same time, the U.S. Department of State has rolled out an expanded vetting policy for H-1B and H-4 nonimmigrant work visas.

Effective December 15, 2025, the State Department will expand the requirement for online presence reviews to all H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependent family members, adding them to the list of categories already subject to social media and digital screening (such as F, M, and J visas).

Under this new directive, consular officers are authorized to review publicly available online content from applicants’ social media and digital profiles as part of the visa adjudication process.

To facilitate this screening, applicants are instructed to set the privacy settings of all social media profiles to “public” during processing. The department frames this as part of national security and public safety vetting, stating that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”

This policy change reflects the broader trend in U.S. immigration policy toward digital vetting, with the government using available online information to assess the admissibility of foreign nationals.

Before attending a visa interview, consult with an immigration attorney to conduct a thorough review of your social media presence and address any potentially derogatory information in advance.

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