The US Embassy has announced that students seeking J1 visas will now be subject to “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of their social media activity, reports Breaking News.
These updated requirements also extend to other exchange visitor categories falling under the F, M, and J non-immigrant visa classifications.
Applicants must provide details for all of their social media accounts and ensure that these profiles are publicly visible, reports Breaking News.
Failure to comply may result in a visa denial.
According to the embassy, authorities will review all available data during the visa process to determine if any individuals are “inadmissible” to the United States, including anyone considered a threat to national security, reports Breaking News.
In a statement released on Monday, the embassy emphasized that holding a US visa “is a privilege, not a right”.
It stated that its role is to safeguard the US by maintaining strict standards for national security and public safety. It added: “Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications,” reports Breaking News.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’. Visa applicants are required to list all social media user names or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” reports Breaking News.
The US Embassy in Dublin stated that it will “soon” begin scheduling visa interviews again for F, M, and J non-immigrant categories.
It further stated: “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,” reports Breaking News.
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