After Donald Trump took office as the President of the United States for the second time, it is well known that he has been taking a series of strict decisions. Particularly, he has been cracking the whip not just on students but also on other visa categories. It is already known that the U.S. has started thoroughly scrutinizing the social media accounts of those applying for visas before granting them. If any anti-American comments or other objectionable content is found in a visa applicant’s social media account, it can be said that the chances of getting a visa are almost nil. Recently, in connection with this, the U.S. Embassy in India has issued crucial instructions. What are they? It has been clearly stated that those applying for F, M, and J visas must mandatorily change the privacy settings of their social media accounts from private to public. Only then, in accordance with U.S. laws, will the authorities be able to decide whether to allow those individuals into the country or not.
An F visa is issued to students going to study in the U.S. An M visa is granted to those joining non-academic vocational courses. A J visa allows participation in cultural and educational programs conducted in the U.S. All these are non-immigrant visas. If anyone applying for a U.S. visa keeps their social media account private, their visa will not be approved. It has been clarified that every visa decision is a matter of national security. Since 2019, the U.S. has been reviewing social media accounts during visa issuance. During this scrutiny, authorities examine whether any individual poses a threat to national security.