The U.S. Embassy in Mexico confirmed that from now on, all visa applicants, both migrant and non-migrant, must provide information about their social media accounts used in the last five years as part of the application process.
This measure, which had already been formally introduced in 2019, has been strengthened, especially for applicants for J, M, and F visas (student and exchange visas), as also announced by the U.S. Consulate General in Monterrey.
“We use all available information to evaluate visa applications, including social media identifiers,” the Embassy stated in response to a request for information from a national media outlet.
Which platforms are reviewed?
Among the platforms that must be reported are:
Twitter (X)
TikTok
YouTube
Applicants are not required to provide passwords or private access, but they must provide public usernames associated with their accounts for the past five years.
The review seeks to detect potential risks related to criminal, extremist, or fraudulent activities, without discrimination based on nationality, ideology, or religion, according to the US diplomatic mission.
Although this policy is not entirely new, its enforcement has been intensified as part of a general review of the visa and border system.
