New Delhi: In a move emphasising national security, the United States has mandated all visa applicants to provide a comprehensive list of social media usernames or handles used in the past five years across all platforms.
The US Embassy in India issued the reminder on Thursday, cautioning that omitting this information could result in visa denial and make individuals ineligible for future visas. "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," the embassy said in a statement posted on X. "Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit."
Reiterating its stance, the embassy described each visa adjudication as a “national security decision.” A digital poster released by the embassy stated: "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."
The requirement to provide social media identifiers has been in place since 2019 for both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications.
The embassy also advised F, M, and J visa applicants—typically students and exchange visitors—to switch their social media account privacy settings to “public” to allow better identity verification. The advisory stressed that providing complete and accurate information is vital for establishing admissibility under US immigration law.
The update comes amid a broader immigration crackdown in the United States. On June 24, the US Embassy warned that increased enforcement of immigration laws was underway and that violators could face detention, deportation, and permanent visa ineligibility. It also reiterated that illegal entry into the US would result in jail time and deportation.
In recent weeks, the US Embassy in India has issued several strong statements on visa and immigration policies. On June 19, it reminded the public that a US visa is a privilege, not a right, and that visa holders could still face revocation if they broke any American laws after arrival.
The embassy also highlighted that using illegal drugs or violating laws while on a student or visitor visa could lead to disqualification from future visas.
Earlier this month, on June 16, the US Embassy firmly stated that illegal immigration and abuse of visas would not be tolerated, stressing that those facilitating mass or unlawful entry into the US would face serious consequences. It added that the United States had established new visa restrictions targeting violators and even foreign government officials involved in such activities.
These ongoing communications reflect the tightening of US immigration and visa enforcement policies, reinforcing that compliance, transparency, and lawful behaviour are critical for those seeking to travel to or stay in the United States.
With PTI inputs