US to foreign students: Make your social media public, or risk visa rejection

In a move that has sparked widespread concern among international students, the U.S. Embassy in India has issued a directive mandating that all applicants for F, M, and J category visas make their social media accounts public—effective immediately.

- TDG NETWORK

These non-immigrant visas are designated for academic, vocational, and cultural exchange visitors. The announcement marks the latest development in a broader trend of heightened digital surveillance and vetting of foreign nationals under the Trump administration.

MANDATORY PUBLIC PROFILES The requirement applies to major social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. According to the embassy, any applicant who fails to comply or keeps their accounts private could face outright visa refusal. The statement, posted on the official embassy social media accounts, underscores that "every visa adjudication is a national security decision."

This new policy is causing anxiety among students preparing for the U.S. autumn academic intake (September-November), who now find themselves having to choose between digital privacy and their educational ambitions.