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Under the new guidelines, the US will review the online presence of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.
Singh mentioned that the MEA had addressed the issue with both the US embassy in New Delhi and the US Department of State.(Representative Image)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has received numerous complaints from Indian students and their families about difficulties in securing US student visa appointments following the announcement by US authorities of expanded screening and vetting for visa applicants, the government stated on Thursday.
In a written reply to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh mentioned that the MEA had addressed the issue with both the US embassy in New Delhi and the US Department of State, reported PTI.
The ministry was questioned regarding the government’s awareness of the challenges faced by prospective Indian students in obtaining US student visas.
“On 18 June 2025, US Department of State (DOS) issued a press release titled ‘Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants’. In the said press release, DOS stated that it uses all available information in its visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security,” the minister said.
Under the new guidelines, the US will conduct comprehensive vetting, including reviewing the online presence of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.
To facilitate this process, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be required to set their social media profiles to “public,” according to the guidelines.
“Following these developments, the Ministry of External Affairs has received several representations from Indian students and their families flagging difficulty in obtaining student visa appointments. The ministry took up the matter with US Embassy in New Delhi as well as the US Department of State,” Singh said.
Although issuing visas is a sovereign prerogative of the respective state, the MEA has “consistently raised” with the US embassy in New Delhi and the US State Department in Washington DC the problems encountered by prospective Indian students in obtaining US visas, he further stated.
“The Government of India remains engaged with the US Government to promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel,” Singh added.
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