US Embassy in Delhi Orders Social Media Monitoring for Visa Applicants

The American embassy has requested that Indian citizens who have applied for a visa make their social media accounts public. Read the full story.

If you are planning to go to the United States for studies or research and have applied for a visa, this news is important for you. The US Embassy in Delhi and across the country has introduced a new and stricter rule for obtaining a visa. It has stated that for security reasons, the social media accounts of some education-related visa applicants will be checked.

Make Your Social Media Accounts Public

The US Embassy stated that Indians who have applied for F, M, and J Non-Immigrant Visas should make their social media accounts public. This will make it easier for US officials to verify the identity and eligibility of visa applicants. This is being done for security reasons. The embassy stated in its X post that under US law, visa applicants are required to do so. This rule has been implemented with immediate effect.

What are F, M, and J Visas?

These visas are for non-resident US travellers. The F Visa is for students who go to the US under the exchange visitor programme, the M Visa is for vocational students, while the J Visa is for research scholars and interns. Under the new rules, Indian students and visa applicants going to study in the US will make their social media accounts public before applying for a visa.

No Clarity on How Long Accounts Must Remain Public

Previously, the US government used to request a list of applicants' social media handles. Now, these applicants are being asked to remove privacy restrictions so that officials can easily view their online content. However, US officials have not clarified how long applicants will have to keep their accounts public. But it has been made mandatory for applicants to do so to obtain a visa.