Good news for students wanting to study in the United States — the US has resumed visa interviews worldwide, opening the way for a more promising educational journey. This follows a temporary suspension in May for new F, M, and J visa appointments.

However, this resumption also introduces a major policy shift: student visa applicants must now disclose their social media handles from the past five years.

The U.S. State Department introduced this rule to enhance national security by thoroughly reviewing applicants’ online activity via the DS-160 visa application form.

Implemented under the Trump administration, the policy is intended to identify potential security risks, anti-American sentiment, or violent ideologies.

This has sparked concern among many international students. The scrutiny adds complexity to an already challenging visa process. Applicants now must consider how their online presence may be interpreted during evaluation.

“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… Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
— U.S. Embassy in India, June 26

🔍 Key Changes You Must Know

• Disclose all social media usernames from the past 5 years in the DS-160 form
• Submit DS-160 before scheduling your visa appointment
• Ensure your DS-160 barcode matches your appointment — mismatches could get you turned away
• Reschedule immediately if there's a mismatch — the embassy cannot fix it