US Embassy tells Indian students to go public on social media for Student Visa
Harvinder Kaur
New Delhi, June 25, 2025 — In a move aimed at strengthening security protocols, the US Embassy in India has requested all applicants of F, M, and J category non-immigrant visas to make their social media accounts public.
The directive comes shortly after the US State Department resumed the processing of student visas, which had been temporarily paused under the Trump administration’s recent security review.
According to an official post by the US Embassy on X (formerly Twitter), the instruction is effective immediately. All applicants must ensure that their social media profiles are accessible to US visa officials during the application review process.
"Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law," U.S Embassy in India on X.
Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States… pic.twitter.com/xotcfc3Qdo
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) June 23, 2025
This includes popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others.
The embassy clarified that this step is part of broader efforts to enhance identity verification and ensure applicants meet the admissibility criteria under US immigration laws. By reviewing an applicant’s online presence, immigration officers can conduct more thorough background checks to detect potential risks or inconsistencies.
The new rule applies to students (F visa), vocational and technical learners (M visa), and exchange visitors (J visa).Applicants are not required to alter or delete any content but must allow visibility to their social activity during the vetting period.
The embassy has urged students to prepare their profiles accordingly and ensure all information aligns with their visa documentation.