Visa Applicants Must Keep Social Media Profiles Public, Says US State Dept

Hyderabad: The US State Department announced that it will expand social media screening to all H-1B visa applicants and their dependents, in addition to students and exchange visitors who are already covered. It directed them to make the privacy settings on their social media profiles “public”.

Under the updated process, people applying for H-1B, H-4 (spouses and dependents of H-1B holders), F (students studying in US colleges or universities), M (exchange programme students), and J (non-academic vocational study holders) non-immigrant visas will be asked to change the privacy settings on all their social media accounts to “public”.

Underscoring that a US visa is a privilege and not a right, the department said it uses all available information in screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible or pose a threat to America's national security or public safety.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” it said.

The department said the US must be vigilant to ensure applicants do not intend to harm Americans and that all visa applicants credibly establish eligibility and intent to comply with the terms of their admission.

The directive is the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules.

Reactions among Indian professionals and prospective visa applicants have largely been negative, with many calling the rule a breach of privacy. Ramesh Kumar, a software engineer in Dallas, said, “I understand the need for security, but making our personal social media public and authorities snooping through our feeds feels uncomfortable. I use social media to stay in touch with family and friends, and someone else going through it feels wrong.”

Puli Vardhan, a Hyderabad-based student who is planning to pursue higher education in the United States, said, “The visa system is tough as it is. Now we also have to worry about how our posts might be seen or misunderstood. Still, since it is mandatory, people have no choice but to follow it.”

The US Department clarified that it has been conducting online reviews for student and exchange visitor visas for some time and that this expansion aims to apply similar checks to work visas.