“U.S. visa privileges, not rights”: Trump administration announces enhanced visa application
Trump administration introduces stricter visa screening: The Donald Trump administration announced on Saturday that it would conduct “expanded screening and review” of visa applications to enhance the safety of U.S. citizens. U.S. agencies (to manage U.S. foreign policy and international relations burdens) describe U.S. visas as “privileges, not rights,” believing that the country must remain vigilant during the visa application process to ensure public safety.
What does the latest visa announcement from the U.S. State Department mean for applicants, especially students?
•U.S. authorities will conduct a thorough review of visa applications
• Applicants for non-immigrant visas on “F”, “M” and “J” must change their social media profile privacy settings to “Public”
• Overseas US posts will resume scheduling such applications soon
The U.S. State Department said it uses all available information to identify applicants that the U.S. does not accept, “including those that pose a threat to U.S. national security.”
U.S. authorities review applicants’ online presence
“Under the new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough review of all students and exchange visitors applicants in the F, M and J non-immigration classification, including online presence,” the department said.
It added that it is “committed to protect our country and our citizens through the visa process to maintain the highest national security and public safety standards”.
The department notes that applicants under this category will “instruct the privacy settings of all their social media profiles to ‘Public’”.
Who are F, M and J non-immigrant visas?
These three types of visas are issued to foreign nationals to study or participate in exchange programs in the United States.
Although students are assigned F and M visas (F1 for academic research and M1 for occupational research), J visas are used for exchange programs, including academic, professional and cultural exchange activities.
The latest U.S. move is aligned with the Trump 2.0 administration’s trade protectionist stance and stricter immigration policies.
