India Urges Merit-Based Evaluation for Visa Applications Amid New US Guidelines

The Ministry of External Affairs responds to new US visa guidelines requiring social media identifiers, stressing the need for merit-based evaluations for Indian nationals. Despite no change in the US travel advisory level for India, the MEA assures continued engagement on mobility and consular issues, emphasizing the strong India-US partnership.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has noted the US Embassy's new guidelines for visa applications, which ask for applicants' social media identifiers. The Indian government believes that visa applications for Indian nationals should be assessed on the basis of merit, Ministry spokesperson Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing.

Stressing the importance of mobility and consular issues, Jaiswal assured that India is actively engaged with the US to protect the legitimate interests of Indian citizens. He also pointed out that while the US has recently updated its travel advisory for India, the advisory level remains unchanged at Level 2.

Addressing Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir's visit to the White House, Jaiswal declined to comment further but emphasized the strong India-US partnership built on shared democratic values and strategic interests. He described the ongoing relationship as a comprehensive global strategic partnership receiving high levels of attention across sectors.