U.S. requires visa applicants to share social media used in 5 years: U.S. Embassy in India

Describing each visa adjudication as a “national security decision”, the U.S. has asked applicants to share their social media usernames or handles for each platform they have used in the last five years.

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 statement that was posted on X read, “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 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 it.”

The communication continued, “Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.” On June 23, the U.S. Embassy asked those applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa to switch the privacy settings of their social media accounts to “public” to facilitate vetting, which it said was necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the US under law.

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.

National security decision

“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.