Visa applicants, beware! US Embassy in India issues new warning - 'Omitting social media information could lead to...'

The United States (US) Embassy in New Delhi Thursday directed all visa applicants to stipulate details of all their social media handles from the past five years for background checks -- failure to comply could lead to visa rejection, the embassy said. This comes close on the heels of the United States' decision to require all student visa applicants to make their social media accounts public for vetting purposes.

"Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used in the last five 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 embassy said in a statement on X.

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

Citing "national security and public safety," the US had on Monday stated that all applicants for student visas must make their social media accounts 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 social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law,” the US Embassy in New Delhi had said on Monday.

The F-1 visa is issued to students pursuing academic studies, while the M-1 visa is for those enrolled in vocational or other non-academic programs. The J-1 visa, on the other hand, is granted to individuals participating in teaching, studying, research, or on-the-job training programs, typically lasting from a few weeks to several years.

Last month, the Trump administration directed all US consulates around the world to stop conducting new interviews and accepting applications for student and exchange visitor visas.

At the same time, US officials accused the Biden administration of allowing poorly vetted migrants into the country and claimed the system was full of fraud. In response, they announced stricter checks, including reviewing the social media activity of people applying to move to the US.

Now, US consular officers will carefully check applicants' online activity. They will look for anything considered concerning — such as posts showing hostility toward American citizens, values, culture, institutions, or the country’s founding principles.

This change comes as the US Department of State begins requiring social media checks before granting visas.