US Embassy in India Mandates Public Social Media Profiles for F, M, and J Visa Applicants

The United States Embassy in India has introduced a new rule requiring all individuals applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas to change their social media settings from private to public. The move aims to facilitate visa screening and vetting, enabling the US government to verify applicants' identities and backgrounds more effectively. This development follows the US government's practice of requesting social media identifiers from visa applicants since 2019.

Key Takeaways:

The US Embassy in India has mandated that F, M, and J visa applicants change their social media settings from private to public.
The move aims to enhance visa screening and vetting, allowing the US government to verify applicants' identities and backgrounds under U.S. law.
The new rule applies to all individuals applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas, which include student, work, and exchange visitors.
The US government has been requesting social media identifiers from visa applicants on both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa forms since 2019.
The embassy stated that every visa decision is a national security decision and that this new step helps verify the applicant's identity and check their background more effectively.
The US Department of State has emphasized the importance of visa applicants' social media activity in identifying potential threats to national security.

Statistics:

Since 2019, the US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms.
The US government uses all available information, including social media activity, to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.

Sources:

Contify.com (Source 2)