U.S. Visa Regulation Mandates Public Access to Social Media Accounts for Applicants

The United States Embassy in India has announced a significant update for applicants seeking F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas, advising that social media accounts should be made public. This guideline aims to assist officials in verifying the identity and eligibility of applicants within the framework of U.S. law. The embassy emphasized that each visa application review constitutes a “national security decision.”

Effective immediately, all individuals submitting an application for an F, M, or J visa are required to adjust the privacy settings of their personal social media accounts to ‘public.’ This adjustment is essential to facilitate the thorough vetting process needed to confirm the applicant’s identity and admissibility to the United States.

Under this new mandate, Indian students and others intending to pursue academic studies or engage in vocational or exchange programs must ensure their social media profiles are publicly accessible prior to submitting their visa applications. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in application denial.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy indicated that the collection of social media identifiers from visa applicants has been a requirement since 2019, reflecting an ongoing commitment to comprehensive screening practices.

The embassy also noted that all available information is scrutinized as part of the visa screening and vetting process to identify applicants who may be deemed inadmissible, particularly those who could pose a national security risk. However, specifics on the evaluation criteria were not disclosed.

Other U.S. embassies worldwide have implemented similar guidelines. For instance, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico has mandated that visa applicants provide all social media usernames or handles from the past five years.

This update follows recent directives from the administration aimed at streamlining the visa issuance process, particularly concerning student visas. The U.S. Department of State recently indicated that the appointment scheduling for student visas would resume, but with new requirements that necessitate unlocking social media accounts for government scrutiny.

The Department of State reiterated the necessity of vigilance during the visa issuance process to ensure that applicants do not intend to jeopardize the safety of Americans or national interests. All applicants must credibly demonstrate their eligibility for the visa and confirm that their intended activities align with the terms of their admission.