Good news for students aspiring to study in the US! The US administration has now resumed fresh visa appointments for F-1, J-1 and M-1 applicants. Towards the end of May, the US had temporarily paused these appointments to step up background screening of the applicants.
Now, the appointments have officially resumed, but with a catch. Applicants need to make their social media profiles public for government scrutiny, to ensure there are no posts against the country, the government or their ideologies. Refusing to do so may affect their chances of visa approval.
This applies to both new and returning student visa applicants in order to strengthen efforts towards national security. To begin with, the government will prioritise visa interviews for students applying to universities where the international student population is less than 15%.
This ends a period of uncertainty for students aspiring to study in the US, especially those who have already secured admission for this year, though it comes with an added layer of scrutiny.
