US Edition
US Student Visa Applicants Must Make Social Media Public
- The US State Department resumed processing student visa applications on June 18, mandating that those applying disclose their social media accounts and set their profiles to public as part of enhanced security screening.
- This policy stems from efforts to tighten visa vetting following the 2015 San Bernardino attack and ongoing national security concerns reflected in earlier travel bans and social media screening pilots.
- Applicants for F, M, and J visas must disclose all social media handles from the last five years and allow public access to profiles, while officials monitor for hostility or support for terrorism and antisemitic violence.
- In the 2023-24 academic year, international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities generated $43.8 billion in economic impact and helped sustain over 378,000 jobs; however, experts such as Gregory Nojeim caution that increased social media screening could discourage prospective students and suppress free expression.
- The policy provoked concern from Irish officials and immigration lawyers, suggesting it may reduce student inflows and cause confusion, despite the US asserting these measures enhance national security.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The U.S. State Department announces the extension of verification and control procedures for visa applicants in a Facebook page of the institution, taken by the United States Embassy in Bucharest. The document states that...
This was reported by the United States Embassy in Peru for the verification necessary to establish the identity of the applicants.
Colombian citizens applying for a nonimmigrant visa to enter the United States via form DS-160 must now include a requirement as part of the process.This was confirmed by the U.S. authorities in that country.The U.S. Embassy in Colombia's migrant noticeThe entity shared an announcement through official channels and detailed an important step in the procedures for applying for certain immigration permits.The F, M and J visa applicants, intended f…
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