Student visa applicants must disclose social media accounts – U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has announced that all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas, which conceal global students and exchange company, need to now space their personal social media profiles to public as section of a brand unusual visa vetting requirement.

The directive is fine at present, in step with an exchange posted by the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria on its generous Instagram web page on Monday.

“Tremendous at present, all other folks making expend of for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to modify the privateness settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public,’” the post learn.

Consistent with the embassy post, the alternate is supposed to bolster vetting efforts aimed in direction of confirming applicants’ identities and determining their eligibility to enter america.

“We expend all accessible info in our visa screening and vetting to establish visa applicants who're inadmissible to america, alongside with these that pose a possibility to U.S. national security,” the embassy stated.

Since 2019, america has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa utility forms, the embassy added.

F, M, and J are nonimmigrant visa forms for other folks in the hunt for to gaze or participate in exchange functions in america. The F visa is for academic stories, the M visa is for vocational or non-academic stories, and the J visa is for exchange visitor functions.

The updated policy follows a June 18 teach from the U.S. Division of Bellow, which confirmed that all F, M, and J visa applicants will now be field to a corpulent overview of their on-line presence, alongside with social media.

The U.S. Division of Bellow stated, “The Bellow Division is dedicated to defending our nation and our electorate by upholding the absolute most practical standards of national security and public safety by our visa direction of. A U.S. visa is a privilege, now not a first payment.

“We expend all accessible info in our visa screening and vetting to establish visa applicants who're inadmissible to america, alongside with these that pose a possibility to U.S. national security. Below unusual guidance, we are going to conduct a entire and thorough vetting, alongside with on-line presence, of all pupil and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications.

“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be suggested to modify the privateness settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”

“Our abroad posts will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa functions soon. Candidates must test the relevant embassy or consulate web space for appointment availability.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security option. The USA must be vigilant for the length of the visa-issuance direction of to make sure these making expend of for admission into america raise out now not intend to damage American citizens and our national pursuits, and that all applicants credibly achieve their eligibility for the visa sought, alongside with that they intend to favor in actions in step with the terms for his or her admission.”