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As of May 20, 2011, qualified Iranian applicants for visas in the F, J, and M categories for non-sensitive, non-technical fields of study and research and their dependents will be eligible to receive two-year, multiple-entry visas. This is an increase in the current visa validity of three months, single entry.

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DOS Announces New Website For J-1 Visa Program

14 years ago By Editor

Media Note

Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC
May 25, 2011

Also available in Russian

On June 1 the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will launch a new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website.

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DOS Publishes QAs On New Regulations For J-1 Visa Summer Work Travel

14 years ago By Editor

New Regulations for J-1 Visa - Summer Work Travel
Taken Question Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC

Q: Please provide details on the specific aspects of the new regulations for J-1 visas. What is the intention of these new regulations? Are we confident that these new regulations will protect recipients from abuse?

A: The Summer Work Travel (SWT) program has provided thousands of international college and university students an opportunity to visit the United States and experience the American people and culture firsthand.

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USCIS Updates Guidance for F/M Nonimmigrant Student Classification

1 year ago By Chief Editor

Release Date

08/27/2024

USICS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding when students may be eligible for optional practical training (OPT) extensions for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This guidance, found in Volume 2, Part F, of the Policy Manual, also provides clarifying guidance for F/M nonimmigrant students concerning online study, school transfers, the grace period, and study abroad.

The Policy Manual update:

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USCIS Program Extension Alert

13 years ago By Chief Editor

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) advises the public that Public Law 112-176, signed by the President on Sept. 28, 2012, extends the following USCIS programs until Sept. 30, 2015:

E-Verify
Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Pilot Program
Special immigrant visa category for non-minister special immigrant religious workers
The date by which J-1 nonimmigrant exchange visitors must obtain that status in order to qualify for the Conrad 30 program.

Program Details

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Recording for February 20, 2025, Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna

9 months ago By Chief Editor

Immigration.com

Community Conference Calls

Nonimmigrant Visas

Green Card

FAQs:

1. Can I volunteer with a Non-Profit while on any temporary visa (for example, F-1 OPT)?

2. Options after layoff on approved EB-1 - Compelling circumstances EAD and GC EAD conversion

3. NIW I-485 rejected: Refiling options and priority date usage?

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Enhanced Social Media Vetting for Student and Exchange Visas: Troubling Developments in Immigration Screening

8 months ago By Chief Editor

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Rajiv's Article - Enhanced social media vetting for student and exchange visas - What you need to know

8 months ago By Chief Editor

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: April 04, 2025

https://shorturl.at/xyEtn

Synopsis

The State Department's new social media screening measures affect F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applicants, requiring mandatory reviews under certain conditions. These include broad interpretations of terrorist support and criteria for hostile attitudes toward U.S. institutions, potentially leading to visa revocations.

For more information on this article, please see the attachment below.

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J-1 Waiver Based on Exceptional Hardship Upon a U.S. Citizen Child

12 years ago By Chief Editor

We filed an application seeking a waiver of the foreign residence requirement for our client based on exceptional hardship upon the client’s U.S. citizen child. We argued that the minor child would suffer extreme hardship if he were forced to leave the U.S. with his mother to fulfill the two-year home residency requirement because of a serious medical condition, for which treatment was not readily available in the applicant’s home country. We provided ample supporting documentation in this regard.

USCIS granted the waiver.

Nonimmigrant Visas

Immigration Law

Waiver

Citizenship and Naturalization

Citizenship

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US Visa & Social Media: What you need to know about new screening policies and their impact

5 months ago By Chief Editor

Question details

I believe there was a proposal to include social media handles as part of certain visa/immigration applications. Do you know what the consequences of that are?

If one has deleted social media accounts they don't have access to or accounts they don't remember the details for would that negatively impact the application? Also, is it just public posts that get reviewed or do private messages/dms get reviewed also?

FAQ Transcript

As of June 24, 2025, the US Consulates have updated their policies for F (academic student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor) visa applicants. The key requirements are:

Public Privacy Settings: All your social media accounts must have their privacy settings adjusted to "public" so that the consulate can review them.

Disclosure of Usernames: You are required to list all social media usernames or handles from every platform you have used for the last 5 years. This includes accounts, even if they have since been deleted.

Failing to comply with these requirements, including omitting social media information or keeping accounts private, could lead to visa denial. The new policy aims to facilitate vetting to establish identity and admissibility to the United States.

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