In a move affecting thousands of Indian students planning to study in the US, the Embassy said that all F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applicants must make their social media accounts public to facilitate identity verification and security vetting.

Earlier, the Trump administration had stopped scheduling new visa interviews for international students at US embassies and consulates around the world.

In a significant move aimed at strengthening national security, the US Embassy in New Delhi has made it mandatory for all F, M, and J visa applicants to disclose their social media usernames and handles from the past five years.