Overview

• The US State Department now requires F, M and J visa applicants to submit social media handles and posts from the past five years for detailed background checks.
• Indian students are deleting or sanitizing posts and entire accounts to avoid content that consular officers might deem suspicious.
• Visa consultants warn that abrupt removal of online content can trigger red flags and recommend maintaining consistent, privacy-controlled profiles.
• Officials are deploying artificial intelligence tools to flag posts related to terrorism or extremist ideology and revoke visas accordingly.
• Education experts advise applicants to focus their online presence on academic achievements and community involvement while avoiding political commentary.