US wants visa applicants to make their social media accounts ‘public'. Here's how students may be affected

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

Taking into consideration 'national security and public safety,' the United States has mandated that visa applicants list out all social media usernames or handles that they have used over the last five years and make them public for enhanced screening. On June 26, the US Embassy in India asked the visa applicants to mention their social media usernames or handles of every platform that they have used over the last five years while applying for the DS-160 visa application form. US wants visa applicants to make their social media accounts 'public'
'Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,' US Embassy India's X post reads.
At a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the issue and said that all 'visa applications of Indian nationals should be treated on the basis of merit.'
He added that India remains engaged with the US side on 'all mobility issues and consular issues' in order to safeguard the legitimate interests of Indian nationals.
Also read: USCIS issues warning for immigrants: 'Green cards and visas will be revoked if…' How could students be impacted?
This could lead to longer visa processing times and stricter social media scrutiny for the applicants, Piyush Kumar, Regional Director of South Asia, Canada, and Latin America at IDP Education, told CNBC-TV18. He noted that the decision could lead to students looking for other venues like Australia or the United Kingdom for higher education.
Kumar cautioned that students could be questioned about the social media posts even at their point of entry in the US. This means students will have to be extra careful about their social media activity. He also mentioned that while the US government has announced that they have resumed processing visa applications, many students have not yet received an interview slot.
A report by The Hindu claims that the new rules could have an adverse effect on privacy and online security. Making social media accounts public could lead to users becoming more vulnerable to stalking, identity theft, hacking and other digital security crimes. It could also lead to increased levels of targeted advertising aimed at teenagers. Timeline of events
The latest developments come against the backdrop of a major immigration crackdown in the US, which led to protests in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
On June 18, the US State Department informed that under the new guidance, the country will be conducting comprehensive and thorough vetting for visa applications. This includes online presence of all the student and exchange visitor applicants under the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.
Those applying for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas have been asked to make adjustments to the privacy settings on all their profiles across different social media platforms and switch these settings to 'public.'
This is not new, as visa applications have been required to provide "social media identifiers" since 2019.
While student visas are applied under the F or M category, the J category is for exchange visitor visas.
Calling every visa adjudication as a "national security decision," the US State Department asked officials to remain vigilant while issuing visas to ensure that the ones applying to enter the US "do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests".
According to the BBC, the Donald Trump administration had in May halted student visa appointments to beef up measures to restrict applicants deemed hostile to the country.
FAQs:
1. Why is the US doing social media vetting for visa applicants?
This means a review of an individual's presence on social media, including platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram. It highlights tightening of security protocols, as it will allow officials to do thorough background checks of the applicants.
2. Which visa applications will require social media vetting?
These include student and exchange visitor applicants under the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.
3. What if I don't make my social media accounts public?
If an individual keeps their social media accounts private, then the person could be deemed as trying to hide their activity.