US tightens visa rules for Pakistani applicants
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Pakistani applicants for the for F, M or J categories of non-immigrant visa were advised by the United States consulates in Karachi and Lahore on Thursday to make their social media accounts public for vetting, according to a report.
"The instructions followed a similar advice issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi earlier this week. The move came after President Donald Trump's administration ordered the resumption of student visa appointments, accompanied by significantly stricter social media vetting of applicants.
"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," the consulates said in Instagram post.
The post stated that since 2019, the US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms. it added that applicants had to fill out social media identifiers and account handles for each platform on the application form.
F and M are different student visa types, while the J visa is a non-immigrant visa for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programmes in the US. "Omitting social media information on your application could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future US visas," the consulate warned.
The Trump administration paused the issuance of new education visas late last month as it mulled new social media vetting strategies. The US had also targeted Chinese students for special scrutiny amid a tense negotiation over tariffs and the supply of rare-earth metals and minerals to the United States.
The state department directive allowed diplomatic posts to resume the scheduling of interviews for educational and exchange visas, but added that consular officers would conduct a "comprehensive and thorough vetting" of all applicants applying for F, M and J visas.
The screening for "antisemitic" activity matches similar guidance given at US Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Department of Homeland Security and has been criticised as an effort to crack down on opposition to the conduct of Israel's war in Gaza.
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