Applying for a US student visa? Your social media must be set to 'public', says embassy

The US Embassy has mandated that all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas must switch their social media profiles to public. The move, effective immediately, is aimed at tightening vetting protocols for international students amid heightened security scrutiny.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the US Embassy announced, “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States.”

The Embassy added that since 2019, visa applicants have been required to provide social media identifiers on their applications. “We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security,” it said.

Reinforcing its stance, the US State Department previously stated that obtaining a visa is “a privilege, not a right.” It emphasized that screening continues even after a visa is issued and can lead to revocation if laws are broken.

"The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests,” the State Department noted. It added that all applicants must credibly demonstrate eligibility and intent to comply with visa terms.

The crackdown comes amid broader enforcement rhetoric. On June 16, the American embassy in India stated that the US “will not tolerate” those aiding illegal or mass immigration. A similar warning was issued on June 10, when the embassy clarified that while legitimate travelers remain welcome, any illegal entry or abuse of the visa system would not be condoned.