The US Embassy in India now requires F, M, and J visa applicants to make their social media profiles public to strengthen identity verification and eligibility screening. This builds on a 2019 rule mandating all visa applicants to submit social media identifiers as part of the application process.
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The US Embassy in India has introduced a new requirement for F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applicants to adjust their social media privacy settings, making their profiles publicly visible. This measure aims to enhance the screening process, allowing officials to verify applicants’ identities and assess their eligibility under US law.
In the social media post announcing the requirement, the US Embassy noted that in 2019, the United States had implemented a requirement for all visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms.
Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States… pic.twitter.com/xotcfc3Qdo
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) June 23, 2025
The post does not specify the duration for which applicants need to make their social media profiles public. The US State Department under President Trump has taken several steps to increase scrutiny for foreign nationals entering the US. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously announced that visa applicants with social media activity related to the Israel-Gaza war can face stricter vetting or outright rejection.
In addition, the US government has announced a new travel ban targeting 12 countries, completely barring entry for nationals from those nations and imposing partial visa restrictions on seven others. The policy, aimed at safeguarding national security, focuses on countries considered high-risk due to security gaps and terrorism-related concerns, primarily in the Middle East and Africa.
