Taoiseach blasts 'excessive' new social media checks for student US visas

Irish Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has slated 'excessive' new checks on social media accounts for students seeking to obtain United States visas.
He argued that the US is already one of the 'more difficult countries' to access, and there has already been a decline in the number of young people applying and travelling on J1 visas.
The US Embassy in Dublin confirmed on Monday that Irish students applying for certain US visas will be instructed to set their social media profiles to public as part of a new 'comprehensive and thorough' vetting process.
Following a pause, it confirmed that it will resume taking applications for visas shortly.This includes for J visas, used by people like students and teachers and F and M visas, both used by students travelling to the US to study.
The new rules will require those applying for visas to set their social media accounts to public.
A spokesman said: 'The US Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.
'A US visa is a privilege, not a right. 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 US national security.
'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications.
'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public.'
The embassy stated that visa applicants will be required to list all social media usernames or handles of 'every platform they have used from the last five years' on their application forms.
It also warned that 'omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas'.
When asked about the US Embassy's announcement, the Taoiseach said that he did not 'approve of or agree with' the new measures. He said: 'I believe those measures by the United States are excessive.
'One of the great things in the modern world, has been the capacity for young people to travel and mobility is important. The US is probably one of the more difficult countries to to get into at times.
'So there is an issue around freedom of speech, but it's more the atmosphere that's created by these measures, the fear and the anxiety that young people will now experience travelling. My understanding is applications are down in terms of J1. We have witnessed a pause on the processing of J1.'
The Taoiseach also said there has been a 'long-standing relationship' with America and its young people travelling around Ireland. He also stated that 'good intelligence' and 'good security' should be able to stymie any potential attackers.
The US Embassy spokesman confirmed that its Dublin embassy will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applications soon. He added: 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.
'The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.'