The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has issued an important notice for local visa applicants via its official X account. Specifically, those applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas are now required to set the privacy settings of their listed social media accounts to public.

According to the embassy, this requirement is to facilitate identity verification and determine admissibility under US immigration law. For context, F and M visas are designated for academic and vocational students, while J visas cover participants in approved cultural and educational exchange programmes.

Since 2019, US visa application forms – both immigrant and nonimmigrant – have required applicants to provide social media identifiers. The embassy explained that all available information is used during visa screening to identify applicants who may be inadmissible, including those who could pose a threat to national security.

In a related development, US embassies worldwide were instructed in late May this year to temporarily halt scheduling appointments for international student visas. However, the US State Department announced on 18 June 2025 that the process will resume soon.

(Source: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, via X)

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