In a significant policy shift impacting all U.S. visa aspirants, the U.S. Embassy in India announced on Thursday that visa applicants are now required to disclose all social media usernames and handles used in the past five years. The directive applies to all individuals completing the DS-160 visa application form and is part of enhanced background screening procedures aimed at strengthening national security.
“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 provided in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit,” the embassy stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The embassy also issued a warning: failure to provide accurate or complete social media information may result in visa denial and could disqualify individuals from obtaining a U.S. visa in the future. “Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” it emphasized.
The move aligns with the Trump-era policy aimed at reinforcing security measures and preserving the integrity of the U.S. visa system.
Earlier this week, the embassy also advised student visa applicants under the F, M, and J categories to set their social media profiles to public visibility. This requirement, according to the embassy, is intended to facilitate the vetting process necessary to verify applicants’ identities and determine their admissibility under U.S. law.
These developments come amid a broader suspension of new student and exchange visitor visa interviews, which was implemented across all U.S. consulates last month.
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