Post by : Rameen Ariff

New Delhi: Kaushik Raj, a 27-year-old journalist from Delhi, was all set to begin his master’s degree in data journalism at Columbia University with a $100,000 scholarship. However, his plans were abruptly halted when the US Embassy in New Delhi rejected his student visa.

Raj believes the rejection was connected to his social media activity. Despite completing all visa formalities, including interviews, he suspects that authorities scrutinized his online presence. In his journalistic career, Raj often focused on sensitive topics like hate crimes, which reflected in his social media activity.

The visa rejection letter cited that Raj had not shown strong ties to India that would ensure his return after studying in the US, without mentioning social media. Nevertheless, Raj insists, “It was clearly because they had gone through my social media.”

In light of this, Raj plans to apply for higher education in the UK instead. His case is not isolated—other Indian students have faced similar visa rejections after social media vetting, despite completing all required procedures.

The US government has introduced mandatory social media checks for all F, M, and J visa applicants. This policy, aimed at national security, requires applicants to make their social media accounts public to help authorities verify their identity and admissibility.

The impact of stricter screening is visible in visa statistics. In August 2025, the US issued nearly 20% fewer student visas compared to the previous year. Indian students were the most affected, with a 44.5% drop in visas issued, overtaken by China as the top country of origin for US student visas.

Experts say this trend highlights growing challenges for Indian students pursuing higher education in the United States under tighter visa policies and social media scrutiny.

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