The U.S. Embassy in South Korea announced on the 20th that it will soon resume study visa applications, which had been suspended for about three weeks. This measure follows the U.S. Department of State's decision to normalize visa issuance for foreign students and trainees.
The embassy said in a statement distributed to Yonhap News that it plans to "resume the schedule for F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications soon" and requested that "applicants check the availability of reservations on the visa schedule website."
The visa categories for application include study (J), vocational training (M), and exchange and professor (F) visas. The embassy added that "we plan to conduct comprehensive and thorough reviews for all applicants, including online assessments."
In particular, applicants must switch their social media (SNS) account privacy settings to "public" starting this time. The embassy stated, "During the visa review process, accessing SNS posts may be required, and visa issuance may be restricted if applicants refuse this request."
According to the student community, some interview slots for June opened around 11 a.m. that day but closed within minutes. Compared to the situation where there were no available dates for reservations since the 28th of last month, this indicates a partial easing of restrictions.
Previously, the U.S. Department of State instructed diplomatic missions around the world that "if new student visa applicants do not allow access to their SNS accounts, visa issuance may be denied." Additionally, consular officials were advised to examine whether the applicants had displayed hostile attitudes toward the U.S. in their past statements or activities.
Experts point out that while it is natural for the U.S. to exercise its national sovereignty in issuing entry visas, it is controversial for a country that guarantees freedom of expression to restrict visa issuance based on foreigners' past SNS activities.