Hyderabad: A student has been denied a US visa over a Reddit account, and it has led to confusion among applicants from Hyderabad.
Following the denial, the student shared the details on his Reddit account, disclosing that he was handed a 221(g) slip.
As per the details shared by the applicant, during the F1 visa interview, the officer raised a concern about his Reddit account.
At the end of the interview, he was given a 221(g) slip requesting that he make all his social media handles public.
Recently, the US State Department has asked applicants to grant access to their public social media profiles for review.
The US authorities have made it clear that they will evaluate posts and activities on social media to check for anti-US government sentiment.
Further, they declared that applications of those who refuse to make their social media accounts public will be rejected.
Ever since the US Embassy in India wrote on its X handle that students who drop out, skip classes, or leave their program of study without informing their school will face consequences, students from various cities in India have been in confusion.
Following the warning and considering the Trump administration’s policies for students and immigrants, they are considering alternatives such as Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the UK.
Now, the incident of a US visa refusal over a Reddit account—which students generally don’t use—has triggered another wave of confusion.
On condition of anonymity, a student in Hyderabad who is preparing for IELTS and planning for a master’s program abroad said that he dropped his US plan after seeing the changing policies.
Another person said that he has already decided to apply to Australia instead of the US.
Till recently, Hyderabad used to send many students to the US on an F1 visa for master’s programs. It remains to be seen whether the strict visa policies of the US will have an impact on the trend.
