US embassy in India: ‘Removing ….. on your application could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for further US visas’

The US Embassy in India has issued a transparent warning for visa candidates. “Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” the embassy mentioned in a submit on microblogging website X (previously Twitter). The submit reminded visa candidates to disclose all social media usernames or handles they’ve used over the previous 5 years whereas filling out the DS-160 visa application type. “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” the submit learn. “Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.”

The requirement is a part of broader vetting procedures launched by the US State Department in latest years. Under the up to date guidelines, candidates should checklist IDs used on platforms reminiscent of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and others—even when the accounts are not lively from the final 5 years.

New rule for F, M, and J non-immigrant visa candidates

This comes days after the US authorities issued a brand new guideline for these making use of for scholar and alternate customer visas. Applicable to all candidates of F, M, and J non-immigrant visas, the brand new rule requires these candidates to set their social media accounts to public. “Effective instantly, all people making use of for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to modify the privateness settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting obligatory to set up their id and admissibility to the United States underneath U.S. regulation,” the US embassy in India wrote in an X post.F, M and J visas are the common types of non-immigrant visas issued by the agency to foreign nationals who wish to study or participate in exchange visitor programs in the U.S. F visa is typically used by academic students, the M visa by vocational students, and the J visa by exchange visitors, including researchers, scholars, and interns.