Indian F-1 Visa Applicants Must Disclose 5-Year Social Media

In a significant policy move, the United States has mandated that all Indian applicants for F-1 student visas must now disclose all social media usernames used in the past five years. This rule is part of enhanced security and identity verification protocols aimed at strengthening visa screening processes.

What’s Required?

As per the updated guidelines:

• Applicants must list every social media handle (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) used in the last five years in the DS-160 visa application form.
• These profiles should ideally be set to public so that US authorities can review them during background checks.
• Failure to provide complete and accurate information may result in visa denial or future ineligibility.

Why This Change?

The US State Department states that the enhanced scrutiny is part of ongoing efforts to:

• Prevent fraud and identity manipulation.
• Ensure applicants do not pose a security threat.
• Improve pre-interview background verification to reduce visa abuse.

This policy follows trends initiated under the Trump administration and now reinforced amid rising global concerns about misinformation and digital radicalization.

DS-160 Submission Rules Updated

In addition to the social media requirement, applicants must now:

• Submit the DS-160 form before booking an appointment, rather than after.
• Ensure the barcode on the submitted DS-160 matches the one used for scheduling. Any mismatch will invalidate the appointment and require rescheduling.

Student Concerns Rising

The announcement has sparked anxiety among Indian students, many of whom are now:

• Deleting or archiving older posts they fear could be misinterpreted.
• Seeking professional help to manage their digital footprint.
• Expressing concerns over privacy and lack of clarity on what types of content might lead to rejections.

A student from Delhi noted, “I check my old posts every few hours now—anything remotely political, I delete.”

What You Should Do

1. List all past social media usernames honestly in your DS-160.
2. Make profiles public temporarily before visa processing.
3. Avoid political or controversial content on all visible profiles.
4. Submit DS-160 before booking the interview, and ensure the barcode matches.
5. Keep a record of all information provided for consistency.

This policy shift marks a new chapter in how the US evaluates international students—not just on academic merit, but also their online presence and digital behavior. Indian applicants must now approach the process with not only academic readiness but also a well-curated public profile.