The U.S. has resumed student visa processing with new rules requiring public social media access
The United States has resumed its student visa application process, now requiring foreign applicants to grant access to their social media profiles for screening.
The U.S. Department of State announced that all F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applicants must make their social media accounts public to facilitate expanded vetting procedures.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public,” the department stated.
Visa interviews had been temporarily suspended since May, affecting thousands of prospective international students.
“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States,” a spokesperson said.
The department reiterated that visa issuance is a national security matter and not a right, adding, “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”
Nigeria remains Africa’s leading source of U.S.-bound students, with approximately 20,000 currently enrolled.