New Conditions for US Visa Recipients

A significant change has been made to the visa application process for those wishing to travel to the US. The US Embassy in Ankara has announced that social media accounts must be public for applicants applying for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas.

In a statement made on the embassy's official social media account, it was stated that "Every visa decision is a national security decision," and that the new measure aims to facilitate reviews during the application process.

Valid for All Applications

According to the new regulation, anyone applying for a student (F), vocational training (M) or exchange program (J) visa must set the privacy settings of their personal social media accounts to "public."

The statement included the following statements:

“Effective immediately, all applicants for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas will be required to set the privacy settings on all personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate the necessary reviews to prove their identity and admissibility to the United States.”

Security Reasons Are at the Forefront

US authorities state that this practice was introduced to enhance national security and identify potential threats during the application process. It is being considered not only for applications from Türkiye but also as part of a global shift in visa policy.

Therefore, it's crucial for anyone planning to apply for a US visa to review their social media accounts and set their privacy settings to "public." Failure to do so could result in a rejection of their application.