US demands full social media access from Pakistani visa applicants

WEB DESK: The US consulates in Karachi and Lahore have instructed applicants for F (student), M (vocational), and J (exchange visitor) visas to make their social media accounts public for vetting purposes, mirroring a policy recently implemented by the US Embassy in Delhi.

The move follows a June 18 State Department directive, reviewed by Reuters, mandating stricter screening to flag applicants with potential “hostile attitudes toward US citizens, culture, or institutions.” Consular officers must now conduct “comprehensive vetting” of all student and exchange visa seekers.

New social media requirements

• Applicants must set all social media profiles to public to “facilitate identity verification”
• Mandatory disclosure of social media handles on visa forms since 2019 now enforced more rigourously
• Omitting details may result in visa denial and future ineligibility

China condemns ‘discriminatory’ US plan to revoke student visas

Policy context

The Trump administration had paused student visa appointments on May 27 pending expanded social media checks. While appointments resumed this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted updated guidelines would follow a review.

The measure affects thousands of Pakistani students and exchange program participants annually.

Earlier in April the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) announced that the Global Undergraduate Exchange Pakistan Programme (Global UGRAD-Pakistan) has ended after 15 years. Since many are worried that the Fulbright scholarship programme, which allows students and professionals to study or conduct research in the US, is next, and given the circumstances the fate of Fulbright hangs in a limbo.