Published by: Business Today- July 02, 2025
https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/us-time-limit-rule-stay-foreign-st…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Published by: Business Today- July 02, 2025
https://www.businesstoday.in/nri/visa/story/major-us-student-visa-overh…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
I believe there was a proposal to include social media handles as part of certain visa/immigration applications. Do you know what the consequences of that are?
If one has deleted social media accounts they don't have access to or accounts they don't remember the details for would that negatively impact the application? Also, is it just public posts that get reviewed or do private messages/dms get reviewed also?
As of June 24, 2025, the US Consulates have updated their policies for F (academic student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor) visa applicants. The key requirements are:
Public Privacy Settings: All your social media accounts must have their privacy settings adjusted to "public" so that the consulate can review them.
Disclosure of Usernames: You are required to list all social media usernames or handles from every platform you have used for the last 5 years. This includes accounts, even if they have since been deleted.
Failing to comply with these requirements, including omitting social media information or keeping accounts private, could lead to visa denial. The new policy aims to facilitate vetting to establish identity and admissibility to the United States.
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: April 04, 2025
Synopsis
The State Department's new social media screening measures affect F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applicants, requiring mandatory reviews under certain conditions. These include broad interpretations of terrorist support and criteria for hostile attitudes toward U.S. institutions, potentially leading to visa revocations.
For more information on this article, please see the attachment below.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance (PDF, 275.62 KB) in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the 2-year foreign residence requirement for the nonimmigrant exchange visitor (J) classification.
FAQs
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Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Exchange visitor (J) visas are nonimmigrant visas for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programs in the United States.