Describing every visa adjudication as a “national security decision”, the U.S. has requested applicants to share their social media usernames or handles for every platform they’ve used in the final 5 years.
The U.S. Embassy in India shared the knowledge in a short assertion issued on Thursday (June 26, 2025), which additionally cautioned towards “omitting” social media data, because it could lead on to “visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
The assertion that was posted on X learn, (*5*)
The communication continued, “Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.” On June 23, the U.S. Embassy requested these making use of for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa to swap the privateness settings of their social media accounts to “public” to facilitate vetting, which it mentioned was vital to set up their identification and admissibility to the US underneath regulation.
The embassy had additionally mentioned since 2019, the U.S. has required visa applicants to present “social media identifiers” on immigrant and non-immigrant visa utility varieties.
The F or M class is for scholar visas, and the J class is for change customer visas. In Thursday’s (June 26, 2025) communication, the embassy additionally hooked up two associated digital posters.
National safety choice
“Every U.S. visa adjudication is a national security decision,” learn the caption on the highest of a poster, adopted by a notice.
The notice learn, “The United States requires visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on visa application forms. We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting.”
It comes towards the backdrop of an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration in Los Angeles not too long ago.
On June 24, the embassy’s assertion mentioned that the U.S. had elevated enforcement of immigration legal guidelines, and violators would face detention, deportation, and everlasting penalties for future visa eligibility.
The U.S. additional warned that these getting into the nation illegally would face jail time and deportation. The U.S. Embassy in India has issued a collection of statements with regards to visas and immigration this month.
On June 19, the embassy mentioned a U.S. visa was “a privilege, not a right,” and its screening didn’t cease after a visa was issued, as authorities would possibly revoke it if one broke the regulation.
The embassy had additionally mentioned that utilizing unlawful medicine or breaking any of the U.S. legal guidelines whereas on a scholar or customer visa might make one ineligible for future U.S. visas.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in India additionally issued statements, underlining that whereas individuals travelling legally to America have been welcome, unlawful entry or abuse of visas will not be tolerated by the nation.
The United States “will not tolerate” those that facilitate unlawful and mass immigration to the U.S., its embassy mentioned on June 16, 2025.
The U.S. Embassy had mentioned the U.S. had “established new visa restrictions” focusing on international authorities officers and violators.
