THE US Embassy in Manila announced a new requirement for applicants seeking F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas.
Effective immediately, all applicants must set their social media accounts to “public” to facilitate the US government’s vetting process.
The embassy stated that this is a necessary step to establish the identity and admissibility of visa applicants. While the US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers since 2019, the new directive mandates public access to these accounts.
F visas are for academic studies, M visas for vocational or non-academic studies, and J visas for exchange visitor programs.
The embassy emphasized that all available information, including social media activity, is used to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the US or pose a threat to national security.
The change in policy underscores the US government’s heightened focus on security screening for visa applicants.
metrosundaily
