Indian Students Fear U.S. Visa Denials Amid Social Media Scrutiny, Begin Deleting Posts

As Indian students gear up for the fall intake at U.S. universities, a new anxiety is sweeping through WhatsApp groups and visa counselling centres.

Under revised visa protocols introduced during the Trump administration and still in effect, U.S. immigration authorities now demand applicants’ social media handles from the past five years. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok are closely monitored using artificial intelligence tools to assess whether an applicant poses any potential security risks. The scope extends beyond explicit statements — even shares, likes, and online associations can be flagged.

The policy, intensified in the aftermath of the October 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict and subsequent campus protests in the U.S., has led to growing concern among Indian students who fear that political opinions or harmless jokes could be misread.

Many applicants are taking no chances. Rajat (name changed), recently accepted into an Ivy League master’s program, said he deleted his entire LinkedIn profile after his visa consultant advised him that politically charged posts could raise red flags. “Even one old protest photo could jeopardize everything,” he said.

Similarly, a PhD candidate from Jawaharlal Nehru University told The Print that a U.S. university froze his post-doc offer after officials raised concerns over his pro-Palestine posts. He has since wiped his social media accounts and removed several apps from his phone, saying, “You never know what might be misinterpreted.”

Visa counsellors now routinely warn students to exercise extreme caution online. Meenal Damani, an education consultant, advises, “Don’t like, comment on, or engage with political movements online. Even sharing someone else’s opinion can be seen as an endorsement.”

Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com, noted that while students should maintain an authentic digital presence, deleting posts en masse can also look suspicious. “Immigration authorities use this data to evaluate character and determine if the applicant’s academic background aligns with their stated goals,” she explained.

With AI-powered surveillance becoming central to visa assessments, students are being urged to strike a delicate balance — clean up your digital trail, but don’t make it look like you’ve erased your past.