Worried about not getting a US visa... Students preparing for study abroad are deleting SNS

The US Donald Trump administration has suspended new visa interviews for the second day on the 29th, and a queue for visa issuance procedures continued in front of the US Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. As work began at 7:20 AM, the number of people waiting increased to about 170. Most had anxious expressions.

Due to the sudden action by the US, students preparing for study abroad in the new semester in August are unable to hide their dismay. Additionally, reports that US authorities are considering making it mandatory for student visa applicants to submit social media (SNS) account information have led to confusion, with some deleting posts or even deactivating accounts. Industry insiders are concerned about market contraction.

Mr. Park (24), whom we met in the interview queue that day, said, "There is definitely a sense of worry among students preparing for study abroad," and "There are many cases where interviews have been rejected, so the anxiety is high."

Mr. Yoon (31), who is in his 10th year of studying in the US, is in a situation where he has one semester left until graduation. He lamented, "I was already denied a visa once after the Trump administration took office," and "If I fail this time, I might have to stop studying abroad, so I'm making contingency plans."

Especially as it is known that the prior provision of SNS information is likely, students preparing for study abroad have been seen organizing their SNS. Mr. Park said, "I only have an SNS ID and haven't posted anything, but people around me are telling me to delete the ID just in case, so I'm considering it."

The shockwave is not limited to students. Since the interview suspension includes the J-1 visa, it is expected that local Korean businesses will be affected. The LA Java Market (fashion complex) has been hiring domestic students as interns with the J-1 visa.

The visas temporarily suspended from interviews are F, M, and J types. △F visa for students who wish to study at US universities or take language courses △M visa for those who want to receive vocational training △J visa for exchange researchers and students in the fields of education, arts, and science.

Industry insiders predict that if this trend continues for the time being, both students and the market may shrink. If the demand from students preparing for study abroad decreases, it means that study abroad agencies, language schools, visa consulting firms, local Korean intern/employment connection agencies, airlines, accommodation, and insurance companies will inevitably suffer a chain reaction of impacts.

An American visa expert said, "There is a high possibility that foreign students will be required to submit sensitive personal information at a level impossible to demand from Americans during visa screening," and "It will shrink."


theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Park Sung-hyun Kim Hyung-gu reporters