USCIS Collects Social Media Usernames on Nine Immigration Forms

Status: In effect now — USCIS Collection of Social Media Identifiers on Immigration Forms (FR Doc. 2025-03492 (60-day notice) and FR Doc. 2025-17816 (30-day notice); DHS Docket USCIS-2025-0003; OMB Control No. 1615-NEW (approved through Feb. 28, 2027))

Operative. This is not a court case but a form-content change adopted through the Paperwork Reduction Act. USCIS published a 60-day Federal Register notice on March 5, 2025 and a 30-day notice on September 16, 2025, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the collection on February 11, 2026, valid through February 28, 2027. USCIS may now ask applicants on nine forms to list the social media usernames (handles) they have used over roughly the past five years and the platforms where they used them. The agency states it collects usernames and platform names only — not passwords or the contents of private messages — to support identity verification and national security screening. USCIS cites Executive Order 14161 (Jan. 2025) as its authority.

Next step: The OMB clearance expires February 28, 2027. To keep collecting this information after that date, USCIS would have to renew the approval through a new Paperwork Reduction Act notice and public comment period.

Verified against the primary source as of 2026-07-25 — status can change with a single court ruling. Official source.

What’s happening

Operative. This is not a court case but a form-content change adopted through the Paperwork Reduction Act. USCIS published a 60-day Federal Register notice on March 5, 2025 and a 30-day notice on September 16, 2025, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the collection on February 11, 2026, valid through February 28, 2027. USCIS may now ask applicants on nine forms to list the social media usernames (handles) they have used over roughly the past five years and the platforms where they used them. The agency states it collects usernames and platform names only — not passwords or the contents of private messages — to support identity verification and national security screening. USCIS cites Executive Order 14161 (Jan. 2025) as its authority.

Who it affects

Applicants who file any of nine USCIS forms: N-400 (naturalization), I-485 (adjustment of status / green card), I-131 (travel document), I-751 (remove conditions on residence), I-730 (refugee/asylee relative petition), I-589 (asylum), I-590 (refugee classification), I-829 (remove conditions for investors), and I-192 (advance permission to enter as a nonimmigrant). On these forms, applicants are asked to provide the social media usernames they have used over roughly the past five years and the associated platforms. The change adds a form field for screening purposes; by itself it does not change who is eligible for a benefit.

How it got here

  1. Mar 5, 2025 USCIS publishes a 60-day Federal Register notice (FR Doc. 2025-03492) proposing to collect social media usernames on nine immigration forms, citing Executive Order 14161 on vetting standards; comments are accepted through May 5, 2025.
  2. Sep 16, 2025 USCIS publishes a 30-day Federal Register notice (FR Doc. 2025-17816) sending the collection to OMB for final review; comments are accepted through October 16, 2025.
  3. Feb 11, 2026 OMB approves the information collection under Control No. 1615-NEW, valid through February 28, 2027; USCIS may now ask for social media usernames on the nine forms.

What to watch next

The OMB clearance expires February 28, 2027. To keep collecting this information after that date, USCIS would have to renew the approval through a new Paperwork Reduction Act notice and public comment period.

Official sources

This page is general information about ongoing litigation, not legal advice. A case’s status can change with a single ruling, and outcomes can turn on facts specific to each person. For advice on a specific situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.