Applying For US Visa? Now, You Have To Disclose All Social Media Handles From Past 5 Years

Last Updated:June 26, 2025, 13:44 IST

The US Embassy said that the omission of this rule could lead to rejection of visas and ineligibility for future visas.

A US spokesperson noted that students may continue to submit visa applications and that consular sections are constantly adjusting their schedules to fully vet the cases. (Reuters File Photo)

In a significant revision to its visa vetting procedures, the United States has mandated for all the visa applicants to disclose all social media usernames and handles from the past five years for background checks.

The Embassy said that the omission of this rule could lead to rejection of visas and ineligibility for future visas.

The announcement, made by the US Embassy in India on its official handle @USAndIndia, underscores the administration’s focus on national security and identity verification.

“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit," the US Embassy in India said in a statement on X.

“Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas," it added.

Earlier this week, days after the US State Department resumed processing of student visa applications, the country mandated the applicants for F, M, or J non-immigrant visas to change the privacy settings of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’.

“Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States." the Embassy had said in its notification.

It also noted that since 2019, the US. has been collecting social media identifiers as part of its visa application process.

“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security," the embassy added.

The Trump administration last month ordered all of its consulates worldwide to stop new student visa interviews and applications for exchange visitor visas.

The development came alongside a broader travel policy overhaul for 2025, in which the US government has introduced a new travel ban affecting nationals from 12 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa.

The US has clarified that India is not on the list of affected countries. Visa processing for Indian nationals across all categories—including B1/B2 tourist visas, H1B work permits, and F1 student visas—continued as usual. However, long wait times remain a major hurdle for Indian applicants.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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