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.

The U.S. has updated its student visa requirements, now requiring social media details along with key documents for a successful application.

The United States consulates in Karachi and Lahore on Thursday requested that all applicants for F, M or J nonimmigrant visas make their social media accounts public for vetting, after similar instructions were issued by the US Embassy in Delhi earlier this week.