US requires visa applicants to reveal all social media usernames from past 5 years

"Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the online nonimmigrant visa application (DS-160)," reads the announcement.

The announcement followed the release of a new guideline by the State Department, stating that all individuals applying for an F (student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor) nonimmigrant visa must adjust the privacy settings on all their social media accounts to "public" to facilitate the necessary vetting to establish their identity and admissibility to the U.S. under U.S. law.

The primary goal of the new policy is said to enhance national security by allowing U.S. officials to assess the online activity of visa applicants. By gathering social media usernames, the U.S. Department of State aims to identify potential threats that might not be detected through traditional background checks.

The policy applies globally to all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas, meaning millions of students, scholars, and exchange visitors will need to comply with these new requirements annually.

"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 U.S. national security."

"Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas," the embassies announced.

The State Department had temporarily paused issuing visas for foreign students at the end of May while it developed the new social media guidance, and it will now resume taking appointments.

International students are facing increasing uncertainty due to recent U.S. immigration measures.

The White House earlier announced a new travel ban and further visa restrictions on nationals from 19 countries, effective June 9. The State Department has also paused scheduling new visa interviews for foreign students.