The American F‑1 visa postpone of a student of India became postpone, just because he did not give information about his Reddit profile in the DS‑160 visa application form. Let us know that the US Embassy in India has recently given great warning that if an Indian will remove Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media details from their visa application, then their current visa may be rejected and can also be refused to take US visas in future.

The student stated in the Reddit post that initially the visa officer gave him 221 (g) notice, an indication of an administrative processing, which can delay the visa decision. The official said that all social media platforms, such as Reddit, Instagram, LinkedIn will have to be given. The student says that his Reddit profile was completely public without any controversial post, yet the visa was stopped.

The student wrote in his post, “When the account was open, it was not visible and at the end of the interview he issued a 221 (g) slip to me requesting me to make all my social media handles public.” He further said, “My concern is that my account seemed to be private, while it was already public. What if it is a technical problem that would come again and again while examining my handle and eventually rejected?”

The incident clearly indicates how social media investigation has increased in American visa process. Under the guidelines of the US State Department released in June 2025, F, M, J Visa applicants will have to keep all their social accounts on public mode. However, many students are considering this as an attack on basic freedom, as many people post on their secondary or unnamed accounts.

This rule of keeping social media public is in force from 2019, but now the American Embassy has started implementing it vigorously. The shocking thing is that it is not enough to give social media username now, the profile will have to be kept in public visibility so that the Cancular officers can see the posts, likes, comments of the applicant.

If you are planning a US admission, then pay special attention to these things:

• Give a link to all your social media profiles in DS‑160 form.
• Make sure your profiles are public, ie privacy settings off.
• Already check the privacy settings of accounts like your reddit, Instagram, especially if the username is different from the real name.
• If the visa officer asks for any information, then actively answer with the evidence.