A social media user accused Nikhila Godugu, an Indian senior software development engineer at MarkLogic in the United States, of violating H-1B visa rules.
User @CyberGreen09 wrote in an X post that H-1B “visas restrict work to the sponsoring employer.” According to the user, Godugu had violated immigration rules by monetizing her Instagram with a brand deal.
While most of the X user’s posts contain inflammatory content about Indian immigrants in Texas, the netizen brought a tricky caveat of being a work visa holder in the U.S. during an influencer-driven economy to light — are side hustles on H-1B allowed?
This comes amid widespread debate over immigration and H-1B visas. Reports from earlier this year noted rising concerns over an uptick in hostility directed at Indian professionals and Indian-owned businesses, following recent changes to the country’s skilled-worker visa framework.
READ: Indian families spend millions pursuing stability in US as H-1B costs rise (May 9, 2026)
Analysts said the sentiment has sharpened since policy revisions rolled out in September 2025 under the Trump administration, which reshaped key aspects of the H-1B visa program.
There has been a recent proposal to increase the minimum salary requirements for H-1B workers by roughly 30 percent across multiple experience levels. This is likely to make things difficult for new employees, as their employers hesitate to spend the extra money.
The X post also highlights issues regarding the legality of monetizing social media content while on H-1B visa. The H-1B visa does not permit employment outside the company sponsoring the visa, and creating content on social media isn’t typically considered usual employment, it can also potentially come under scrutiny.
Attorneys have mentioned that U.S. consulates are increasingly reviewing Instagram and other social platforms to check whether applicants appear to be engaging in work outside their approved H-1B role. “We have seen some people whose H-1B was denied because of Instagram. Either their visa stamping was denied, or their H-1B extensions are being denied right now because of what they posted on Instagram,” the attorneys said.
“They look online and see Instagram posts that make it look like you’re working without authorization,” they added.
READ: Indian Americans, Indians on H-1B visas confront shifting public perceptions in Trump’s America (November 15, 2025)
Attorney Rahul Reddy said that the issue is not just about working second jobs, but about how online activity is framed. According to him, even innocent content can be misread if it resembles commercial activity. “If you are showing yourself doing someone else’s hair or cooking in a way that looks like a service, even without payment, it can raise questions,” he said.
Experts believe that the experts, immigration officers are now more willing to connect online activity with visa compliance, especially under stricter enforcement frameworks. Reddy warned that this is part of a larger shift in immigration policy enforcement. “We are definitely seeing extreme vetting increasing. It is only going to get harder from here,” he said.
He also mentioned that even non-monetized content could become problematic if it appears to resemble freelance work or services offered to others.