People coming to the US for temporary skilled work or study and their dependents must make their social media profiles public when applying for a visa starting on Monday next week under new rules requiring an “online presence review.”
The requirement originally announced last week applies to all applicants for H-1B, H-4, F, M and J visas, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said on social media today.
The move is intended to “facilitate vetting necessary to establish [the applicant’s] identity and admissibility to the United States,” it said.
Photo: Reuters
All the types of visas listed are nonimmigrant visas.
The H-1B is a temporary work visa, applicable to foreign nationals engaged in “specialty occupations” in the US. It requires employer sponsorship and is subject to annual quotas.
The H-4 is a dependent visa for spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age of H-1B and other H visa holders.
The F is an academic student visa, designed for students going to the US for academic studies or language training.
The M is a vocational student visa for vocational or non-academic study, such as in technical schools, culinary schools or for flight training.
The J is an exchange visitor visa for people participating in an exchange program approved by the US Department of State.
A cable sent to all US missions last week by the department about the new requirement reportedly said that anyone involved in “censorship” of free speech should be considered for rejection.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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