The U.S. Department of State has resumed the visa issuance process for foreign students and trainees. However, it warned that if applicants refuse to disclose their social media (SNS) accounts, their visas may be denied.
According to the Associated Press on the 18th (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced through a notice that it would restart the student and exchange visitor visa-related procedures that had been temporarily suspended since May. Previously, the Department had temporarily halted visa interview schedules in accordance with the policy of strengthening the review of SNS accounts.
The Department stated that it would conduct a comprehensive and thorough review for all student and exchange visitor visa applicants, and it requires all applicants to switch the privacy settings of their SNS accounts to 'public.' It added that the strengthened SNS review would enable a more appropriate pre-screening for those wishing to visit the United States.
Earlier, Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, instructed to suspend the visa interview procedure to establish a system for the meticulous review of SNS accounts at the end of last month.
The United States is a country that constitutionally guarantees freedom of expression, but there remains controversy in that foreign nationals' past SNS posts could influence visa issuance. In particular, the lack of clear criteria for visa denials based on SNS posts raises the potential for future fairness disputes.