US Tightens Visa Screening and Imposes New Travel Ban

The US has revised visa screening procedures, requiring F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applicants to set social media accounts to public. New travel restrictions bar nationals from 12 countries and partially restrict 7 others. India is unaffected but faces visa processing delays due to high demand.

The United States, in a recent move to tighten its visa screening process, has announced that all applicants for F, M, or J non-immigrant visas must now set their social media privacy settings to 'public'. This measure is intended to boost vetting procedures necessary for verifying applicants' identities and their eligibility under U.S. laws.

The announcement was made via a post on X by the official handle of the U.S. Embassy in India (@USAndIndia), emphasizing that each visa decision is crucial to U.S. national security. Since 2019, visa applicants have been required to submit social media identifiers on application forms, and the latest update is part of an ongoing effort to utilize all available resources for vetting purposes.

In tandem with these changes, the U.S. government has also initiated a comprehensive travel ban set for 2025, which completely bans nationals from 12 countries and partially restricts 7 others. The restrictions aim to fortify national security by focusing on countries identified as high-risk for security gaps and terrorism. The majority of these countries are situated in the Middle East and Africa. While Indian nationals are assured of continued visa processing, they face delays amid unprecedented demand and administrative backlog, with many U.S. consulates in India experiencing interview booking times extending up to 10-12 months.

(With inputs from agencies.)