The US says foreign students can start getting visas again, but they'll have to make their social media accounts public

The US State Department announced the resumption of student visa applications, previously halted in May, due to new protocols regarding social media. Applicants for F, M, and J visas must now set their social media to public, facilitating enhanced vetting processes aimed at national security. This decision aligns with responses to national security concerns and aims to allow only those who demonstrate lawful intentions to enter the US. Scheduling for visa interviews will soon resume, following a brief suspension that impacted prospective students ahead of the academic year.

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.'

Every visa adjudication is a national security decision, reinforcing the need to screen individuals who may pose a threat to the United States.

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