Metro Manila, Philippines – Individuals applying for non-immigrant visas are asked to adjust their privacy settings on social media to be available for public access, the United States Embassy in the Philippines said on Tuesday, June 24.
In an advisory on X, the embassy announced that the policy applies to people applying for an F, M , or J non-immigrant visa.
F and M are for students, while J is for exchange visitors.
The embassy said the move aims to vet and establish “their identity and admissibility” to the country under the US law.
“Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms. We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security,” it said.
The U.S. State Department earlier said it is restarting the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but applicants are required to unlock their accounts for government review.
