F, M, J Visa Applicants Must Make Social Media Public, US Consulates Announce 

President Donald Trump has officially ordered the resumption of student visa appointments but has emphasized that applicants’ social media activity must be reviewed to ensure they do not hold views considered hostile toward the United States. This vetting process is intended to be “comprehensive and thorough.” The United States Consulates in Pakistan have announced that applicants for F (student), M (vocational student), or J (exchange visitor) nonimmigrant visas are now required to make their social media accounts public for verification purposes. A similar announcement was made earlier this week in Delhi. An Instagram post by the U.S. Consulate in Karachi stated: “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States.” They also warned that omitting social media information from the application could result in visa denial and future ineligibility to apply for a U.S. visa.