US delays F-1 visa over Reddit handle: What Indian applicants must know

Business Standard

2 days ago

An Indian F-1 visa applicant recently shared that their application was put on hold after they failed to list their Reddit handle on the DS-160 form, even though the account was public and contained no objectionable posts.
Posting on a visa-related subreddit, the applicant said, 'I had my F-1 visa interview recently. During the interview, the visa officer raised a concern about my Reddit account, which I had not listed on my DS-160 form.'
The user said the account was set to public and did not contain any inappropriate content. 'She mentioned that the account was not visible even though it was set to public, and at the end of the interview, she issued me a 221(g) slip requesting that I make all my social media handles public,' the post read.
A 221(g) slip means the visa application is pending and not outright rejected. Applicants are required to submit additional documents or meet other requirements before a decision is made.
However, the rule now is clear: The US government wants visa applicants to reveal their social media handles in their applications. Skip this, and your visa could be delayed or denied altogether.
Since 2020, US visa applicants have had to disclose all usernames they have used in the past five years on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Reddit. These must be listed on the DS-160 form, and the US embassy now actively checks whether such accounts are publicly visible and accessible.
In a recent advisory, the US Embassy in India posted on X, Social media details must be listed fully and truthfully, and any omission could result in a visa denial or future ineligibility."
What Indian students must remember
Experts say the visa process is now closely tied to what an applicant shares, not just in the interview but across digital platforms.
'A key reason behind the success of applicants is the authenticity of the application and the intent that they are able to communicate to the visa officers,' Piyush Kumar, regional director (South Asia, Canada and Latin America) at IDP Education told Business Standard.
'Consistency and transparency help establish credibility. Applicants must ensure that the visa application forms are filled out accurately and reflect the same information shared during the interview and on their social media platforms,' he added.
What students should do:
* Only list social media handles that belong to you and are active or traceable
* Ensure accounts are publicly accessible with no hidden posts
* Don't delete or alter social media accounts after submitting your DS-160
* Inactivity is acceptable, but visibility is key
If issued a 221(g) slip
* Read the officer's instructions carefully
* Make the required social media accounts public or submit documents as requested
* Respond promptly using the channel given—email, portal or direct submission
Note that 221(g) is not a rejection; it indicates further administrative review
All applicants for US immigrant and non-immigrant visas are required to submit their social media identifiers, except those applying under diplomatic or official categories such as A, C-2, C-3 (excluding personal staff), G-1 through G-4, and NATO visas. This means listing every username or handle used on specified platforms in the past five years. Even accounts that are no longer active or in regular use must be included, and if an applicant has had multiple accounts on the same platform, each one must be listed separately. The form does not ask for passwords—only the publicly visible identifiers.
Applicants with no social media can truthfully mark 'None.' However, any false declaration, omission or inconsistency can be grounds for rejection.
What is the US government doing with this data?
The stated purpose is to verify applicant identity and assess eligibility. Officers use this information to spot red flags such as misrepresentation or association with groups or views seen as unlawful under US law.
The checks come amid increased campus surveillance in the US, especially related to pro-Palestinian protests and growing opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.
Student visa approvals slow in 2025
The F-1 visa season in 2025 has opened on a slower note. Between March and May, only 9,906 F-1 visas were issued to Indian students, compared to 13,478 during the same period in 2024 and 14,987 in 2023. This marks a 27 per cent year-on-year drop.
The fall in numbers coincides with tighter scrutiny under the second Trump administration. Some Indian students have reported visa revocations, with alleged links to campus protests or interactions with police.
Mary Gogoi, head of admissions at eduVelocity Global, told Business Standard, 'Trump administration imposed strict visa rules, proposed ending the OPT (Optional Practical Training) programme, and created a sense of uncertainty among international students.'
She added, 'The fear of what might come has led to hesitation and delayed decision-making, particularly among middle-class applicants.'