The United States Embassy in India has issued a new rule for student visa applicants. All students applying for visas to study in the US must now make their social media profiles public. This includes students applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas.

The Embassy announced this on Monday through a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to the public to facilitate the vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law,” the Embassy wrote.

This move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to “enhance security and ensure the integrity” of the visa process. Officials say it will help in background checks and make it easier to check whether an applicant is safe to enter the country.

Officials will now check students’ online activity on platforms like Facebook, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and others. They will look for content that could be considered anti-US, suspicious, or dishonest. They will also make sure that students are not posting things that go against American values, culture, or government.

What is the reason behind this new rule?

The rule was announced just days after the US State Department restarted visa processing for students. Earlier, the Trump administration had paused new student and exchange visa interviews around the world. Now, even though the visa process has resumed, stricter checks have been introduced.

A US official said that during President Joe Biden’s time, visa checks were “loosely vetted”. According to them, this allowed some people to misuse the system. Now, the Trump administration wants to make the checks stronger, especially through social media.

The US has said that this new step is important for the country’s safety. The Embassy added, “We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security.”

Since 2019, applicants already had to provide the names of their social media accounts on the visa form. But now, the Embassy wants these accounts to be fully public so officers can check them easily.

This new rule shows that the Trump administration is taking stronger action on immigration. Students who want to study in the US will now have to be extra careful about what they post online, as their social media activity will play a key role in getting a visa.

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