WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a policy memorandum (PDF, 179 KB)changing how the agency will calculate unlawful presence for students and exchange visitors in F, J, and M nonimmigrant status, including F-2, J-2, or M-2 dependents, who fail to maintain their status in the United States.
I believe there was a proposal to include social media handles as part of certain visa/immigration applications. Do you know what the consequences of that are?
If one has deleted social media accounts they don't have access to or accounts they don't remember the details for would that negatively impact the application? Also, is it just public posts that get reviewed or do private messages/dms get reviewed also?
As of June 24, 2025, the US Consulates have updated their policies for F (academic student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor) visa applicants. The key requirements are:
Public Privacy Settings: All your social media accounts must have their privacy settings adjusted to "public" so that the consulate can review them.
Disclosure of Usernames: You are required to list all social media usernames or handles from every platform you have used for the last 5 years. This includes accounts, even if they have since been deleted.
Failing to comply with these requirements, including omitting social media information or keeping accounts private, could lead to visa denial. The new policy aims to facilitate vetting to establish identity and admissibility to the United States.
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