UAE students applying for USA visa should keep social media public: What you should know. world News
Residents applying for some US visas of UAE are now necessary to make public their social media accounts public, the US Embassy in the UAE recently announced. This new policy affects all applicants for F, M and J Non -Migrant Visa, who will have to accommodate privacy settings for ‘public’ on their social media profiles as part of the application process.
Strict veting between fresh visa appointments
This change comes when the United States increases the investigation of the online appearance of visa applicants. The step follows the decision of the Trump administration to resume student visa appointments, as well as tightening social media to identify any applicant as well as threatens American national interests.According to the cable of an internal state department on 18 June and American missions were sent on June 25, the consular officials have now been made mandatory to conduct the “comprehensive and fully veating” of all students and exchange visitor applicants. The purpose of this veating is to identify individuals who “have hostile outlook towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.”In an official statement, the US mission in the UAE insisted:“An American visa is a privilege, not a right.”
Understanding Visa types: F, M, and J.
- F Visa: For educational studies in recognized institutions like universities or colleges.
- M Visa: For commercial or non-educational training programs.
- J Visa: also known as
Exchange visitor visa These are for individuals participating in approved exchange programs that promote cultural and educational exchange between the US and other countries. J-1 visa holders can participate in students, research, teaching and working exchange programs.
Re -start visa applications
The US mission also noted that foreign posts will soon resume scheduling visa appointments for these categories. Applicants are advised to check the embassy regularly or check the websites for the availability of appointment.This update follows the previous stop, when the Trump administration ordered a stop for new appointments for the student and exchange visitor visa on 27 May. The state department underlined the importance of visa ordinance as national security measures and said:“Each visa assistant is a national security decision. The United States should be cautious during the process of issuing visa to ensure that people applying for admission to the United States do not intend to harm the Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants reliably establish their eligibility for visas, in which they intend to engage in their admission activities.,
What is involved in the vet process
The new veating guidelines require consular officers to review the entire online appearance of an applicant which is not limited to social media profiles. Officers are instructed to use “any suitable search engine or other online resources” to find out derogatory or suspicious information.Due to the growing charge of this comprehensive vet, the cable warned that F, M and J. Visa can have less appointments available. It is stated that:“Posts must consider overall scheduling volumes and the resource demands of the appropriate vet; Post may require to schedule less FMJ cases than before.”In addition, the excess of exchanges and students applying in American universities will prefer rapid visa appointments in visa appointments for foreign-born doctors involved in medical programs, where international students make less than 15 percent of the total student bodies.Based on the information of the US embassy in the communication of the UAE and the Department of Internal Foreign Department, this detailed update was reported by Reuters.
