New Delhi: The US Embassy in India Monday issued an advisory to international students, asking all applicants for student and exchange visas to make their social media profiles public, effective immediately. “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the embassy said in a post on ‘X’.
The embassy said the directive is intended to “facilitate vetting necessary to establish identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law”.
The announcement affects individuals applying for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas—typically granted to international students and academic exchange participants.
The advisory comes a day after the US State Department announced that all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas, will now be required to set their social media profiles to “public” as part of the application process.
In a statement, the department emphasised that obtaining a U.S. visa is “a privilege, not a right,” and noted that visa screening continues even after issuance. Authorities retain the right to revoke a visa if laws are violated.
“We utilise all available information in our screening and vetting processes to determine whether an applicant is admissible to the United States, including identifying any potential threats to U.S. national security,” the State Department said.
The new directive is part of expanded vetting procedures, which now include a detailed review of applicants’ online presence. “Under the updated guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant categories, including their activity on public social media platforms,” the department added.
The requirement builds upon a 2019 policy under which nearly all U.S. visa applicants are required to submit their social media handles as part of their application.
The F Student Visas are issued to individuals enrolled in academic programmes at accredited U.S. colleges or universities, or those studying English at an approved language institute while a J exchange visa is granted to participants in approved exchange programmes, including high school or university-level study and other cultural or educational exchanges. An M student visa is designed for students pursuing non-academic or vocational education and training at institutes in the United States.
In a series of advisories posted on ‘X’ earlier in May, the embassy had advised international students to strictly comply with the conditions of their visas, including maintaining full-time enrollment and promptly informing schools of any changes in status. Failing to do so, the embassy warned, may result in visa revocation and could jeopardize eligibility for future visas or immigration benefits.
“If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your programme of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future U.S. visas,” the post read. “Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues.”
According to the 2024 Open Doors Report, India has surpassed China for the first time in 15 years to become the largest source of international students in the U.S. More than 331,600 Indian students were enrolled during the 2023–24 academic year—a 23 percent increase over the previous year.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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Great move indeed!
This will ensure all supporters of Jihadi Islamist terrorism can be identified and their visa application rejected.
Kudos to President Trump!