Changes to vetting system for US visas excessive
Changes to the vetting system for US student visas have been described by the Taoiseach as excessive.
Mícheál Martin said he did not approve of the move, adding that it would create an atmosphere of fear and anxiety for travelling students.
He said that while he understood the security concerns in the United States, "good intelligence" should be able to identify anyone who wanted to attack a country.
The "comprehensive and thorough" social media vetting system was announced by the US Department of State.
New applicants for F, M and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on their social media profiles to "public".
In a statement, the US Embassy in Dublin said that applicants will also be required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used in the last five years on the DS-160 form.
It said that omitting this information "could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas".
Appointments for applications will resume soon, according to the embassy, after they were paused at the end of May to assess the process.
"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," it said in the statement.
"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," it added.
The F visa allows entry to the US as a full-time student at an accredited college, university or other academic institution, or in a language training programme.
While the M visa is for vocational and non-academic programmes.
The most well known, the J visa, is for summer work and travel for students, but is also availed of by those involved in professional, academic, and cultural exchange activities.
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Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
US visa applicants now face 'thorough vetting' of social media accounts
Irish people are being warned as new requirements for visa applications to the US will include listing all social media accounts used by applicants from the last five years. Applicants for F,M and J non-immigrant US visas will be required to ensure the privacy settings on social media accounts are public in new measures introduced by the US embassy in Dublin. The information will be required when filling out the DS-160 visa application form. Irish people are being warned as new requirements to visa applications to the US will include listing all social media accounts used by applicants from the last five years. Pic: Shutterstock A statement from the US embassy in Dublin released on Monday confirmed that any social media information not provided could result in visa denial as well as 'ineligibility for future visas.' The US Embassy said that obtaining a visa for the States was a 'privilege, not a right' as they highlighted every decision was one made by national security. In the statement, they revealed they would be starting back scheduling for non-immigrant visa applications soon. The US Embassy said that obtaining a visa for the States was a 'privilege, not a right' as they highlighted every decision was one made by national security. Pic: Shutterstock The statement said the US had to be 'vigilant' during the visa process to ensure those applying for admission did not intend to 'harm Americans and our national interests.' It added that 'all applicants [must] credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.' They said: 'The US Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and pubic safety through our visa process.' The new stepped-up social media scrutiny policy comes as Donald Trump continues to crack down on anyone deemed as subversive or expressing anti-American or anti-Semitic opinions, with students in particular being advised to 'tread lightly' with their online footprint. Pic:They added that they would be conducting 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' which includes online presence for student and exchange visitor applicants. The new vetting measures will build upon a previous statement issued last month from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing that the agency will be taking into account 'antisemitic activity on social media' as 'grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.' Purging or deleting media presence in its entirety could also be grounds for refusal. Reacting to the news, Taoiseach Micheal Martin told reporters in Dublin that there is an issue 'around freedom of speech'. 'I believe those measures by the United States are excessive,' he said. 'I don't approve of them. I don't agree with them. One of the great things in the world, 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. 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 (visas). We have witnessed a pause on the processing of J1 most recently. 'There's been a longstanding, obviously, relationship with America in terms of young people travelling and American young people travelling to Ireland. 'In the context of the European Union, we would love to have young citizens from the United Kingdom travelling freely across Europe. That's the Irish position, and vice versa. 'I understand the security, but I think good intelligence and good security can stymie anyone who would be out to attack a country or attack America. I understand that. I get that, but I think it is excessive in respect of the measures announced today.'
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Taoiseach blasts 'excessive' new social media checks for student US visas
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 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.'
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘I don't approve of them, I don't agree with them' – Taoiseach says new US J1 visa rules around social media ‘excessive'
Mr Martin was speaking ahead of his attendance World Conference on Tobacco Control, when he said he did not approve of the new measures, which will see a requirement for all social media accounts used in the past five years to be public to be vetted by US authorities. The announcement was made by the US today and the changes are effective immediately. Students applying for J1 visas must provide all social media accounts they have used in the past five years and make them public so they can be 'thoroughly' vetted by US authorities. "I believe those measures by the United States are excessive. I don't approve of them. I don't agree with them," Mr martin said. While there was an issue in relation to freedom of speech, Mr Martin said it creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. The number of J1 applications are down this year, Mr Martin said. "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," the Taoiseach said. Though Mr Martin said he understood the importance of security, he believed the newly announced measures went too far. Irish students will have to undergo 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media, the US Embassy has announced today. 'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'. 'Visa applicants are required to list all social media user names or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. 'Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.' The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. All applicants are asked to list all their social media profiles, and make their accounts publicly accessible. Failure to do so could lead to a visa being rejected. The embassy said it would use all available information in its visa screening to identify those who would be 'inadmissible' to the US, including those who posed a threat to national security. Every visa adjudication is a national security decision US embassy in Dublin In a statement on Monday, it said that a US visa was 'a privilege, not a right'. It said that it was protecting the US by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety, adding: '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 non-immigrant classifications. The US Embassy in Dublin will resume scheduling F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications 'soon'. The embassy 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.'
