Updated October 30, 2026

US visa social media requirement: what the DS-160 asks and which visas must go public

As of October 30, 2026, the DS-160 asks you to list every social media username or handle you have used on each platform in the last five years. Applicants for F, M, J, H-1B, H-4, K, TN and several other visas are also told to set all their social media profiles to public. US embassies say leaving an account off the form could lead to a refusal.

Here's what the form asks, which visas the public rule covers, and how to get your accounts ready before your interview.

What does the DS-160 ask about social media?

The DS-160 has asked for social media identifiers since 2019. US embassy notices say applicants must list all social media usernames, handles or identifiers for every platform they have used in the last five years.

• A list of platforms. The State Department's 2018 Federal Register notice says the question lists several platforms and asks for any identifiers you used on them in the five years before you apply. It also says the list can change as platforms are added or removed.
• Other platforms. The same notice says you're given the option to add identifiers from platforms that aren't on the list.
• Handles, not passwords. The form asks for usernames, handles or identifiers. None of the notices ask for a password.
• You sign for it. When you sign the DS-160, you certify that your answers are true and correct. US embassy notices add that omitting social media information "could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas."

The 2018 notice also says the State Department didn't plan to routinely require the question for some classifications, such as most diplomatic and government visa applicants. For the rest of the form, see our DS-160 guide.

Which visas must set social media profiles to public?

Listing your handles is one rule. Making your profiles public is a second one, and it applies only to the visa categories in the State Department's online presence review. The review grew in steps:

The State Department's September 18, 2026 announcement lists every category the review covers: A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), G-5, F-1, M-1, F-2, M-2, H-1B, H-3, H-4 dependents of H-1B and H-3, J-1, J-2, K-1, K-2, K-3, Q, R-1, R-2, S, T, U, and now I, TN and TD.

Applicants in these categories are instructed to set the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to "public" or "open." The US Embassy in the Philippines notice says the categories added in March 2026 must do this "regardless of age."

What if your visa isn't on the public list?

B1/B2 visitor visas aren't among the categories in the September 18, 2026 announcement, so the instruction to make profiles public doesn't name them. The DS-160 question still applies, so B1/B2 applicants list their handles like everyone else. Our B1/B2 interview questions guide covers the rest of that interview.

Traveling on ESTA instead of a visa? ESTA is a separate application, not the DS-160. Our ESTA guide covers it.

Should you delete old accounts before applying?

Deleting an account doesn't change what the form asks. This follows from the five-year rule: the DS-160 asks for every platform you have used in the last five years, so a handle you used in that window still belongs on the list, even if you've since deleted the account. List it as accurately as you can.

The same goes for accounts you rarely use, old usernames you changed, and accounts on platforms that aren't on the form's list. The safest list is the complete one.

How do you get your accounts ready?

A short checklist before you submit your DS-160:

1. Write down every platform you've used in the last five years, including accounts you've closed and handles you've changed.
2. Find the exact username or handle for each one. Copy it from the profile, not from memory.
3. Enter each one on the DS-160. Use the option for other platforms if a platform isn't listed.
4. If your visa is on the public list, set every profile to public or open, and keep it that way through your interview.
5. Check that your profiles match your application. Your job title, school, employer and travel plans should tell the same story as your DS-160 and your documents.

How can social media come up at the visa interview?

The State Department says it uses all available information, including the online presence review, to screen applicants and confirm they're eligible. The interview is part of that same check. The DS-160 FAQ says that when you give your fingerprints, you certify again that you answered the DS-160 truthfully and that you'll tell the truth during your interview.

So keep your answers at the window consistent with your form. Questions from Visaful's question bank in this area:

• "Are all your social media accounts public, and did you list every account on your DS-160?" (F-1). The officer is checking you followed both rules. More in our F-1 interview questions.
• "Your LinkedIn shows a different job title than your petition. Why?" (H-1B). The officer is checking that your profile and your petition agree. More in our H-1B interview questions.

For the rest of the day, from documents to timing, read our US visa interview tips.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.