U.S. resumes student visa interviews... "Visa may be denied if SNS is private"

SNS Verification Procedures Included in the Screening Process

Lack of Specific Criteria Raises Concerns for Students

The U.S. government has announced that it will resume procedures for issuing visas to international students. However, since SNS (social network service) verification procedures are also part of the review process, international students need to be cautious.

On the 18th (local time), the U.S. Department of State sent new guidelines on the student visa issuance process to U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide. Resuming the process for issuing visas to international students and trainees, the guidelines included instructions to review applicants’ online activity history. All applicants for F (academic/ language training), M (vocational training), and J (exchange visitor) visas must set their SNS accounts to 'public.' Additionally, the announcement stated that new student visa applicants who do not allow access to their SNS account posts may be denied a visa.

The U.S. Department of State instructed embassies and consulates in various countries to check the full online activity history via search engines and other means. The purpose is to screen out individuals with "hostile attitudes toward U.S. citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles." However, there is no separate explanation or definition of "hostility" or the specific criteria being used.

The New York Times (NYT) criticized, "The ambiguity of these new guidelines will undoubtedly cause great uncertainty among U.S. universities and international students and scholars."

As of the afternoon, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul had not yet resumed accepting online visa interview applications. According to several study abroad agencies, as of that morning, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul had not received interview appointment requests for student visa screening. Applicants must choose a visa interview date through an online system, but that option is currently unavailable. A representative from Study Abroad Agency A remarked, "Since the 19th is Juneteenth, a U.S. public holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, normal business will not take place," and predicted that visa interview scheduling will likely resume after the 20th.

International students who heard the U.S. Department of State announcement expressed both relief and anxiety. Mr. B, who plans to return to a U.S. university for the fall semester, said, "It’s fortunate that visa interviews are being resumed," but also commented, "Because the SNS review standards are unclear, I’m worried that digital traces from my youth that I’ve forgotten may become a problem."

Dong-Hyun Kim, 3code@hankyung.com