US Visa Applicants Ordered to Make All Social Media Accounts Public or Risk Delays and Denial

Millions of people applying for a US visa are now required to make all of their social media accounts publicly visible — or risk having their applications delayed or denied outright. The directive, which covers more than a dozen nonimmigrant visa categories, has been rolling out in phases since June 2025 and expanded significantly as of 30 March 2026.

The US Embassy in Bangkok was among the latest diplomatic missions to issue the reminder directly to applicants, posting a notice that went viral on social media. The embassy stated the requirement was 'effective immediately' and that applicants must set all social media profiles to public 'to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility' to the United States.

A Policy That Has Been Expanding for Months

The social media vetting requirement did not appear overnight. The US Department of State first announced the measure in June 2025, initially directing all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas — covering students, vocational trainees and exchange visitors — to adjust their privacy settings to public, stating that 'every visa adjudication is a national security decision.'

By December 2025, the State Department announced a further expansion, this time covering H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applicants, with the new vetting requirement taking effect on 15 December 2025. The policy has since grown wider still.

Effective 30 March 2026, social media screening now applies to K-1, K-2, K-3, R-1, R-2, H-3, A-3, C-3 domestic workers, G-5, Q, S, T, and U visa applicants, among others, extending the requirement to some of the most vulnerable groups in the immigration system, including trafficking and crime victims.

What Applicants Are Required to Do

All non-immigrant visa applicants, regardless of the category they apply under, are required to truthfully disclose and certify all social media accounts used within the previous five years on Form DS-160 when applying for a visa abroad. This includes disclosing the platform used and the user's social media handle, even if the account is no longer active. Failure to do so may result in visa denial by a consular officer.

Applicants who have not made their accounts publicly viewable by the time of their visa interview may be asked to update their settings. But this is not simply an administrative formality. No official guidance specifies an end date for keeping profiles public; the safest approach, according to immigration experts, is to maintain visibility until a decision is made.

The Stated Reason and the Risks

Washington has been explicit about why it is doing this. According to the State Department, the policy is aimed at identifying visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, 'including those who pose a threat to US national security or public safety,' adding that 'a US visa is a privilege, not a right.'

A June 2025 State Department cable described the goal more specifically as ensuring applicants do not express hostility toward US citizens, institutions, or founding principles, and that they do not support designated terrorist organisations. The policy also references screening for antisemitic harassment or violence.

The consequences for non-compliance are not trivial. H-1B and H-4 visa applications that cannot be approved immediately will be temporarily denied until the consular staff complete their review of the applicant's social media presence. This temporary denial will generally render the person ineligible for future Electronic System for Travel Authorisation applications, even if the visa is ultimately approved.

The expansion of this policy to cover domestic workers, fiancé visas, and trafficking victims marks a notable shift in how broadly Washington is now applying digital scrutiny to people seeking entry. The State Department's expansion of social media vetting reflects an increased focus on digital footprints as part of national security screening, but the practical impact includes longer processing times, heightened scrutiny, and added complexity for both applicants and employers. For many applicants, the decision to open up years of personal posts to government review is not simply procedural — it is a condition of entry.