An H-1B visa applicant has sparked discussion on Reddit after claiming that the US Consulate in Hyderabad asked them to email their social media links following a visa interview, despite the applicant saying the same information had already been disclosed in the DS-160 visa application.
The post, shared on Reddit, detailed the applicant’s experience after attending an H-1B visa interview on June 17. The user also sought advice from others on how long administrative processing typically takes after submitting the requested information. However, HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of Redditor’s claim.
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H-1B applicant discloses details mentioned in DS-160
According to the Reddit user, the interview lasted around two minutes, during which the consular officer asked only two questions:
Where do you work?
What is your salary?
The applicant said the officer then retained their passport, collected fingerprints and handed over a notice requesting that they email their social media links to the Hyderabad consulate.
The Reddit user wrote that they informed the officer the details had already been included in their DS-160 application but were nevertheless instructed to submit them again via email. According to the post, the requested information was emailed later that morning.
The applicant further claimed that their Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) status changed from “Refused” to “Administrative Processing” later the same day, but that no further updates had been received at the time of posting.
Reddit users share similar experiences
The post prompted several responses from users who said they had recently attended H-1B visa interviews at the Hyderabad consulate.
One commenter claimed they had also interviewed on June 17 and received a request to email social media information. According to the user, their visa was approved within three hours, marked as “Issued” the following day and their passport was available for pickup two days later.
Another Reddit user said they interviewed on June 16, adding that their application status later changed to “Approved” before moving to “Issued.”
A separate commenter suggested that because the consulate retained the applicant’s passport, the request appeared to be part of routine administrative processing rather than an indication of a deeper security review. The commenter advised waiting at least 14 business days before sending a follow-up email.
These responses reflect people’s experiences shared on Reddit and have not been independently verified.
The latest Reddit post comes days after another applicant claimed their H-1B visa stamping was delayed following questions about their public social media accounts. In that case, the applicant alleged they later received another notice referencing social media activity after initially disclosing their accounts through the DS-160 form.
