The United States has asked people applying for student and exchange visitor visas to make their social media accounts public.
This is part of new rules meant to help U.S. officials check if applicants are truly eligible to enter the country.
In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in India said the new rule affects all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas. These include those going to the U.S. for academic studies, vocational training, or exchange programs.
“Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting,” the embassy wrote.
Officials say checking social media accounts is a key part of making sure visa applicants do not pose a threat to national security. A U.S. official explained that reviewing each application is considered a “national security decision.”
Anyone who refuses to unlock their social media accounts may risk being denied a visa. Since 2019, the U.S. has required visa applicants to list all their social media usernames on their application forms.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has also issued a similar order, saying visa applicants must list all social media handles used in the last five years.
This new move follows recent steps by the U.S. government to increase vetting of student visa applicants. Just weeks ago, embassies paused new visa appointments to update their security process. The U.S. Department of State has since resumed the visa process, but with a stronger focus on reviewing online activity.
“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process,” the department said, adding that applicants must clearly show they plan to follow the rules of their visa and not endanger the country.
