In a move that could impact thousands of Indian students and professionals, India has urged the United States to ensure visa applications from Indian nationals are assessed fairly and on merit, following Washington’s decision to mandate social media information for visa applicants. The Indian government emphasized it respects the sovereign right of nations to set immigration policies but highlighted the need to protect its citizens’ interests as the US intensifies its visa screening process.
India Seeks Merit-Based Visa Assessment
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded after the US Embassy released new guidelines requiring visa applicants to share details of their social media identifiers, including switching their account settings to “public” to allow for screening. This applies to F, M, and J non-immigrant visas, covering student and exchange visitor categories. Applicants will now need to list all usernames used over the past five years on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as part of their DS-160 visa application form.
“Visa and immigration matters pertain to the sovereign functions of any country. But, we have seen the guidelines issued by the US Embassy regarding social media identifiers in visa applications,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated. He added that while India acknowledges America’s sovereign immigration policies, it expects visa applications from Indian nationals to be treated purely on merit.
Jaiswal also assured that India is committed to safeguarding the interests of its nationals and remains in touch with the US on consular issues to address concerns arising from the updated guidelines.
Understanding the New US Visa Guidelines
The new social media screening rule forms part of the US administration’s intensified immigration checks, aimed at verifying the identity and admissibility of visa applicants under American law. According to the US Embassy, applicants who fail to provide social media information may face visa denial and risk becoming ineligible for future visa applications.
While the requirement for providing “social media identifiers” on immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications has existed since 2019, the recent clarification reinforces the mandate amid broader immigration crackdowns under President Donald Trump’s policies. The Trump administration’s stricter immigration measures have included proposals for jail time and deportation for individuals entering the US illegally, leading to protests in places like Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
The new guidelines have raised concerns among Indian applicants, especially students seeking education opportunities in the US and professionals planning work-related travel. For many, the requirement to disclose personal social media handles and switch privacy settings to “public” has triggered apprehensions about privacy and potential misuse of personal data.
However, the US authorities maintain that social media vetting is essential to national security and immigration law compliance, arguing that it helps in verifying the consistency of applicants’ information and identifying potential security concerns.
In the backdrop of these changes, India’s call for fairness highlights the need for transparent and merit-based processing of visa applications, ensuring genuine applicants are not unfairly impacted due to the additional layers of scrutiny.
