US Embassy: Filipino student visa applicants' social media accounts need to be 'public' for vetting

MANILA — The United States Embassy in the Philippines announced Tuesday that individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa for students and exchange visitors need to adjust the privacy settings of their social media accounts to "public."  

In a statement, the embassy said the policy would "facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States."

It noted that since 2019, the US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms. 

"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," it added.

New State Department guidelines released last week stated that foreigners seeking to study in the United States will be required to make public their social media profiles to allow screening for anti-American content.

The State Department had temporarily paused issuing visas for foreign students at the end of May while it came up with the new social media guidance and it will now resume taking appointments.

"The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country," a senior State Department official said.

In April, the Department of Homeland Security said the social media of foreign student applicants would be examined for "antisemitic activity" that could result in visa denial.

The US government has been vetting the social media of persons seeking to immigrate to the United States or obtain a green card for more than a decade.