U.S. Embassy Update: Social Media Now Part of Visa Eligibility Check

The U.S. Embassy in Manila has released an important advisory for individuals applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas. Effective immediately, all applicants under these categories are requested to adjust the privacy settings of their social media accounts to “public.” This directive is part of the U.S. government’s enhanced vetting measures aimed at verifying identity and ensuring national security. “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States,” the U.S. Embassy stated. This policy applies to the following visa categories:

• F Visa – For individuals pursuing academic studies at U.S. educational institutions

• M Visa – For students undertaking vocational or non-academic studies

• J Visa – For participants in officially designated exchange visitor programs, including cultural and educational exchanges
  

This updated procedure reinforces the 2019 requirement for visa applicants to declare their social media identifiers on visa application forms. According to the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. government uses all available information to screen and vet applicants in order to identify those who may be inadmissible or pose a threat to U.S. national security. To comply with this requirement, F, M, and J visa applicants are advised to:

1. Review all active social media accounts listed on their visa application;

2. Temporarily set privacy settings to “public” to allow for proper verification by consular officers;

3. Ensure that online profiles reflect truthful and consistent personal and academic information.
   

Failure to follow this advisory may result in delays or complications in the visa adjudication process. At BigStart Education and Visa, we remain committed to providing accurate and up-to-date information to guide our students and exchange participants through every step of the visa process.

For assistance with your U.S. visa application or to learn more about the latest requirements, contact our team today.