US visa rule update: Disclose all social media handles from last 5 years or...

In a significant move affecting all US visa aspirants, the US Embassy in India on Thursday announced that applicants must now disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years. The directive, part of intensified background checks, is mandatory for all applicants filling out the DS-160 visa application form.

"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," the Embassy posted on X.

The embassy warned that failure to provide accurate or complete information could lead to visa rejection and disqualification from future US visa consideration. "Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas," it added.

The move is in line with the Trump administration’s broader strategy to “enhance security and ensure the integrity” of the US visa process.

Earlier this week, the embassy had also instructed student visa applicants under the F, M, and J categories to set their social media accounts to public visibility. This, the embassy stated, was required to "facilitate the vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law."

This comes amid a wider pause on new student and exchange visitor visa interviews, as ordered last month across all US consulates.