Heads-Up: Your Social Media May Affect Your U.S. Visa Application

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines has issued an important advisory for all individuals applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas. Effective immediately, visa applicants under these categories are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to aid the visa vetting process.

According to the embassy, this request is part of the United States’ ongoing efforts to strengthen national security and ensure that all available information is used to verify the identity and admissibility of visa applicants. Making social media accounts public will facilitate the consular officer’s ability to confirm key details and evaluate whether an applicant poses any potential risk under U.S. immigration laws.

This move builds on a policy that has been in effect since 2019, when the U.S. government began requiring immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants to provide their social media identifiers as part of the visa application process.

“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,” the embassy stated.

The F, M, and J visa categories are commonly used for students (F and M visas) and exchange visitors (J visa), making this update particularly relevant for international students and scholars seeking to study or conduct research in the United States.

Visa applicants are strongly encouraged to review the visibility settings on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others to ensure that their profiles are accessible during the application review period.

For more information on visa requirements and updates, applicants are advised to visit the official U.S. Embassy website: ph.usembassy.gov.