Overview
- An Indian F-1 applicant was issued a 221(g) notice on July 15 after she did not list her Reddit handle and her passport was retained for administrative processing.
- The U.S. Embassy in India formally enforced a June 26 directive mandating all F, M and J visa seekers to disclose every social media handle used over the past five years and ensure profiles are public.
- The student’s Reddit profile was public and contained no offensive content, yet screening systems flagged it as “not visible” to the consular officer.
- The expanded vetting traces back to a 2019 social media identifier policy that has been intensified by recent State Department and ICE measures citing national security.
- Experts including IDP Education’s Piyush Kumar and digital rights advocates warn that the privacy requirements may drive prospective students toward study destinations such as the UK and Australia.