US visa applicants must make social media accounts public

Individuals applying for three specific types of non-immigrant US visas — F, M, and J categories — are now required to set their social media accounts to public as part of the application process, the US embassy in Thailand announced.

Effective immediately, applicants must ensure the privacy settings of all their social media profiles are set to "public" to assist in identity verification and eligibility screening under US immigration laws.

The F visa is designated for academic students, M for vocational or technical students, and J for participants in exchange programs.

As outlined on the embassy’s official website, applicants for these visa categories must follow a six-step process — beginning with acceptance to a US-based institution or program, and ending with an in-person interview at the embassy. Ensuring public access to social media accounts is now a key requirement in this process.