U.S. Reveals Law for Student Visa Applicants

(MENAFN) The U.S. State Department has unveiled fresh regulations for student visa applications, mandating that foreign applicants make their social media accounts publicly visible.

These modifications broaden the scope of checks for individuals aiming to pursue studies in the United States.

In the previous month, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump directed American embassies and consulates to temporarily halt new appointments for student and exchange visas.

This pause was meant to allow time to finalize the newly revised protocols.

According to a diplomatic message from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, consular posts were advised not to raise appointment availability until the updated instructions were officially released.

These updated guidelines are relevant to individuals applying under the F, M, and J visa types, which pertain to academic, technical training, and cultural exchange initiatives.

The State Department declared that it intends to utilize all accessible data sources to detect candidates who might represent a risk to national safety or are unlikely to adhere to visa terms.

“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 nonimmigrant classifications,” the department said on Wednesday.

Furthermore, the department emphasized that all applicants in these visa categories “will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’.”

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