"Omitting Social Media Information...": US Embassy Warns Visa Applicants

United States: The US Embassy in India has made an important announcement regarding the visa applications to the United States. The Embassy said in a social media post that all visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used in the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form.

It also asked the visa applicants to certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. It warned the applicants that omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.

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“Failure to disclose social media information may result in visa denial and could impact eligibility for future visa applications,” the embassy stated.

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… pic.twitter.com/ZiSewKYNbt

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) June 26, 2025

Under the updated rules, applicants must list IDs used on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others. This rule is also applicable to accounts that are no longer active from the last five years. 

The requirement is part of the US government’s broader security vetting process aimed at ensuring transparency and verifying applicant information. Applicants are urged to carefully review all details before signing and submitting their DS-160 form.

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The new rule comes days after the country issued a new guideline for those applying for student and exchange visitor visas. It is mandatory for applicants of F, M, and J non-immigrant visas.

F, M, and J visas are the common types of non-immigrant visas issued by the agency to foreign national who either wish to study or participate in exchange visitor programs in the US. While F visa is usually used by academic students, M visa for vocational students, the J visa is used by exchange visitors such as interns, scholars, and researchers.