US visa applicants must make social media accounts public for screening

The U.S. Embassy in India shared the information in a brief statement issued on Thursday (June 26, 2025), which also cautioned against “omitting” social media information, as it could lead to “visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”

The embassy had also said since 2019, the U.S. has required visa applicants to provide “social media identifiers” on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms.

The F or M category is for student visas, and the J category is for exchange visitor visas. In Thursday’s (June 26, 2025) communication, the embassy also attached two related digital posters.

“Every U.S. visa adjudication is a national security decision,” read the caption on the top of a poster, followed by a note.

The note read, “The United States requires visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on visa application forms. We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting.”

It comes against the backdrop of an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration in Los Angeles recently.

On June 24, the embassy’s statement said that the U.S. had increased enforcement of immigration laws, and violators would face detention, deportation, and permanent consequences for future visa eligibility.

The U.S. further warned that those entering the country illegally would face jail time and deportation. The U.S. Embassy in India has issued a series of statements on the subject of visas and immigration this month.

On June 19, the embassy said a U.S. visa was “a privilege, not a right,” and its screening did not stop after a visa was issued, as authorities might revoke it if one broke the law.

The embassy had also said that using illegal drugs or breaking any of the U.S. laws while on a student or visitor visa could make one ineligible for future U.S. visas.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in India also issued statements, underlining that while people travelling legally to America were welcome, illegal entry or abuse of visas won't be tolerated by the country.

The United States “will not tolerate” those who facilitate illegal and mass immigration to the U.S., its embassy said on June 16, 2025.

The U.S. Embassy had said the U.S. had “established new visa restrictions” targeting foreign government officials and violators.