This Indian student's F-1 visa was delayed and her passport retained, thanks to her Reddit account: Do you know why?

Time of India

15 hours ago

In a recent Reddit post, Indian student Dhanashree Rajesh Gaidhani recounted the rather surreal turn her US F-1 visa interview took at the American Embassy in New Delhi.
According to her detailed post, a consular officer flagged her Reddit account—not for its content, but simply because it wasn't listed on her DS-160 form and was supposedly set to private.
The twist? The account was public all along, and free of anything even remotely controversial. Regardless, she was handed the dreaded 221(g) slip for 'administrative processing' and advised to make all her social media accounts public. Because, of course, what better way to evaluate a student visa than a deep dive into her Reddit history? Her passport was also retained, presumably to ensure it hadn't tweeted anything suspicious.
The incident has stirred quite the buzz on student forums, raising a few brows—and even more questions—about the nature of digital vetting in US visa interviews. It's a sobering reminder that in an age of algorithmic scrutiny, a mismatched username or a mistaken privacy setting can delay your dreams.
How a public account was treated as private
According to the post shared by Dhanashree on Reddit, the consular officer referenced an account that had not been disclosed on her DS-160.
The account did not resemble her legal name, which may have complicated the verification process during background checks.
Even more unexpectedly, the officer concluded that the account was not public, when in fact it already was.
'
If the officer could identify my Reddit account (presumably through AI or some background vetting tool), why couldn't she see that it was public?' Dhanashree wrote in her Reddit post.
The Reddit handle was not linked to her legal identity, but it was not hidden either. This raises the possibility that technical limitations, AI-based vetting systems, or account caching issues could have caused the error.
Why a 221(g) slip matters to student visa applicants
A 221(g) notice is not a visa denial. It indicates that additional processing is required before a final decision can be made. However, for students with approaching academic deadlines, such delays can be disruptive.
In Dhanashree's case, she has since updated her Reddit account with clear identifying details and posted related information on other platforms listed on her visa form. She has also submitted a support request via the US Travel Docs portal.
Despite these steps, she remains concerned that the clarification may not reach the consulate in time, a risk that could lead to refusal if the issue is not resolved during the administrative review window.
What this means for other Indian students applying for US visas
The case has become part of a larger conversation around digital scrutiny in the US visa process. Since the US introduced mandatory social media disclosures on the DS-160, applicants have been required to provide account information for the past five years. While platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are commonly listed, Reddit is often overlooked.
This incident shows that even platforms where users prefer anonymity are being examined and in a system that relies increasingly on automated review tools, name mismatches or unclear linkages can cause unexpected red flags.
Lessons for students and education consultants
• List all active social media accounts, even if not explicitly asked in the DS-160. Platforms like Reddit may still be reviewed.
• Use consistent identifiers across platforms where possible. If your username is unrelated to your legal identity, provide supporting context elsewhere in your application.
• Double-check privacy settings prior to the interview, and take screenshots to prove that your accounts are publicly accessible.
• Proactively document clarifications in writing, and upload them to the US Travel Docs portal as early as possible. Include screenshots, account URLs and date-stamped changes.
• Understand that administrative processing is not always manual. AI-assisted tools may be part of initial checks, and errors may stem from automated misreads rather than human bias.
A changing landscape of digital identity and immigration
The student visa process for Indian applicants has grown more competitive and technologically intensive.
According to recent reports, US F-1 visa issuance to Indian students between March and May 2025 hit its lowest point since the pandemic years. There is no confirmed timeline yet for resuming normal processing volumes.
Cases like Dhanashree's are a reminder that digital presence is now deeply embedded in immigration processes, not just for content checks but also for identity verification. While the intention may be to ensure transparency and eligibility, students face the burden of navigating a system that is not always equipped to deal with aliases, platform-specific norms or tech mismatches.
What happens when a public profile is misread as private? For now, the answer lies in clear communication, traceable documentation and timely follow-up, all in the hope that human review will correct what a machine may have missed.
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