In June 2025, a rumor circulated online that U.S. embassies around the world were now requiring applicants for nonimmigrant visas — that is, F, M and J visas for students (academic and vocational) and people taking part in cultural exchanges — to set their social media profiles to "public" as a condition to get their applications approved.
For example, one X user who posted the claim suggested that the alleged new policy was akin to yellow stars that identified Jewish people in Germany under Adolf Hitler's leadership (archived).
The user wrote: "The U.S. embassy now wants every visa applicant to list all social media usernames from the past 5 years — and make their profiles public. Coming soon: government-issued identity patches? Maybe yellow ones? Just like in Germany in 1939-1945."
The post had accumulated more than 1.9 million views and 29,000 likes as of this writing. The claim appeared elsewhere on X and in several Facebook posts. Snopes readers also searched the site to verify the veracity of the rumor.
Indeed, on June 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced "expanded screening and vetting" measures for nonimmigrant visa applicants:
To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to "public."
The State Department said in its statement that it aimed to do "comprehensive and thorough vetting" for "national security" purposes:
Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.
On June 26, 2025, the U.S. embassies in India (archived) and South Africa (archived) posted on Facebook announcing the new measures, which included listing all social media profiles on the DS-160 form, which is the application form for nonimmigrant visas, and setting them to "public."
The post on the U.S. embassy in India's Facebook page also warned applicants that failing to share this information could result in "visa denial and ineligibility for future visas":
Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.
Snopes has contacted law experts asking for comments on the implications these measures may have on free speech, privacy and immigration law. We will update this report if they respond.