India Urges Merit-Based Assessment As US Tightens Visa Rules With Social Media Checks

The Centre has stated that it believes all US visa applications submitted by Indian nationals should be assessed purely on merit.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made the comments on Thursday in response to new guidelines issued by the US Embassy, which require visa applicants to disclose their social media handles.

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While acknowledging that immigration policies fall within the sovereign jurisdiction of each country, the Indian government urged that its citizens' visa applications be evaluated on a merit-based system.

"Visa and immigration decisions are part of the sovereign functions of any nation. However, we have taken note of the guidelines issued by the US Embassy that require applicants to provide details of their social media accounts," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He further assured that the Indian government is working to protect the interests of its nationals and remains in contact with the US on matters related to consular affairs.

What is the new US visa regulation?

Under the new guidelines, individuals applying for F, M, or J category non-immigrant visas to the US are now required to make their social media profiles publicly accessible for screening purposes. The F and M visa categories relate to students, while the J category pertains to exchange visitors.

Applicants must also list all social media usernames used on any platform over the past five years in the DS-160 visa application form.

According to the US Embassy, this level of scrutiny is deemed necessary to verify an applicant's identity and eligibility for entry under American law.

Failure to provide the requested social media information could result in the refusal of the visa and render the applicant ineligible for future applications.

The US Embassy clarified that the requirement to provide social media details has been in place for both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications since 2019.

These updated measures are part of a broader immigration clampdown initiated by US President Donald Trump. As part of the tightened immigration stance, individuals entering the US unlawfully may face imprisonment and deportation.

The crackdown has sparked protests in cities such as Los Angeles, where demonstrators have voiced opposition to the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

(With PTI inputs)