US Demand For Visa Applicants’ Social Media Info Sparks Outrage
The DoS has remarked that closed or private accounts will be seen as potential red flags for hiding information, and could result in extra scrutiny or even rejection.
Hyderabad:Although the United States’ state department resumed scheduling interviews for F, M and J student visas, a new requirement from the country has sparked significant outrage among applicants: social media accounts must now be set to “public” so that consular officers can review the online activity of applicants.
The directive from the US state department (DoS), after resuming the visa interview scheduling process, has also stated that all personal social media profiles of the visa applicant must be set to public during the visa process.
The DoS has remarked that closed or private accounts will be seen as potential red flags for hiding information, and could result in extra scrutiny or even rejection. The DoS officials explained that this mandate is to detect “hostile attitudes towards US culture, government or its institutions”.
The move has caused frustration among students across India. R. Akshay, a Hyderabad based student who is planning on going to the US for his Masters, said “They have no right to check my personal social media! It feels like every online post is under a microscope.”
Sahiti Reddy, another student from Hyderabad, said: “I am slightly vocal on international politics on my X page. If my statements aren’t coinciding with the US government’s views, it is almost clear my visa would not be accepted.”
Nishanth, a student from Jaipur who is looking to pursue his PhD in the United States, said “This is nothing short of a breach of our privacy. Our personal lives are being judged before we’ve even landed.”
The US Embassy, however, stated that a US visa is “a privilege, not a right”. They said that their screening does not stop after a visa has been issued, and authorities may revoke it if one breaks the law.
“Using illegal drugs or breaking any US laws while on a student/visitor visa can make you ineligible for future US visas. A US visa is a privilege, not a right. US visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued – and we may revoke your visa if you break the law”, the US Embassy said on an X post.
