In a transfer aimed toward strengthening visa screening procedures, the US has introduced that efficient instantly, all people making use of for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are required to regulate the privateness settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting obligatory to determine their identification and admissibility to the US underneath U.S. regulation.
In a publish on X, the official deal with of the U.S. Embassy in India (@USAndIndia) shared the announcement stating, “Each visa adjudication is a nationwide safety determination. Efficient instantly, all people making use of for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to regulate the privateness settings on all of their private social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting obligatory to determine their identification and admissibility to the US.”
It additionally reiterated that since 2019, the US has required visa candidates to offer social media identifiers on immigrant and non-immigrant visa software varieties.
The publish added: “We use all out there data in our visa screening and vetting to establish visa candidates who’re inadmissible to the US, together with those that pose a menace to U.S. nationwide safety.”
In the meantime, the U.S. authorities has additionally unveiled a sweeping new 2025 travel ban, barring nationals from 12 international locations solely and partially limiting visa entry from seven others. The transfer prioritizes nationwide safety and focuses on international locations deemed high-risk for safety loopholes and terrorism considerations. Most affected international locations are reportedly within the Center East and Africa.
US Journey Ban: US President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing a dramatic growth of its journey ban, focusing on residents from 36 extra international locations throughout Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific. A memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen by The Washington Publish outlines sweeping new calls for on identification verification and visa enforcement. International locations have 60 days to conform or danger full or partial entry bans. Critics warn the transfer revives discriminatory techniques, echoing the 2017 Muslim ban Trump as soon as imposed.
Residents from these nations now face a complete ban on immigrant and non-immigrant visas, together with these for tourism, training, and employment. Concurrently, seven different international locations face partial restrictions, involving tighter screening or restricted visa classes.Amid rising concern in South Asia, the U.S. has clarified that India just isn’t on the listing. The U.S. is constant to course of purposes for Indian nationals throughout all classes, together with B1/B2 vacationer visas, H1B work permits, and F1 scholar visas.
Nonetheless, visa candidates from India nonetheless face lengthy delays because of excessive demand and administrative backlog. Most U.S. consulates in India are reserving interview slots as much as 10-12 months prematurely.
So whereas India stays unaffected by the brand new journey ban, lengthy processing occasions should influence journey plans, training, and employment alternatives for a lot of.
