Want US visa? First unlock your social media accounts for vetting, says embassy in India

The US embassy in India said in a post on Monday that all applicants seeking F, M, or J non-immigrant visas—including students and exchange visitors—have to ensure that their social media profiles are set to ‘public’ to enable background checks. All available information will be used in the visa screening and vetting “to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.” The development comes days after the United States announced that all foreign students applying for a visa must unlock their social media accounts for government review.

In the post, the US Embassy in India said that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” and added that the applicants will have to “adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States.”

It further said that the US has been asking visa applicants to provide social media details on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms since 2019, and added that all available information will be used in the visa screening and vetting “to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.”

Last month, the Trump administration had halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students seeking to study in the US to properly enhance the process of screening their social media activity.

The US State Department said in a statement on June 18 that the scheduling of F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications will resume soon, and applicants should check with the embassy or consulate website for appointment dates.

The State Department further added, “The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”

The US embassy has reiterated that holding a visa is not a right and that visas can be revoked if a person is found to be in violation of the law, even after arrival.