A US visa is a privilege, not a right’: Irish education applicants must disclose five years of social media profiles

Irish Times ^ | Mon Jun 23 2025 11:57 | Kate Byrne, Pat Leahy

[Olog-hai]

Irish students seeking US educational and exchange visas will be required to make their social media profiles public to allow officials to review their online activity, the US Embassy in Dublin has said.

In a statement on Monday, the embassy said the US State Department is “committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process”.

“A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” it said.

The embassy said visa applicants will be required to list all social media usernames or handles for every platform they have used from the last five years on their visa application form so these accounts can be vetted. […]

Taoiseach Micheal Martin condemned the new requirements as “excessive” and said that they will cause “fear and anxiety” among young people.

“I believe those measures by the United States are excessive. I don’t approve of them and I don’t agree with them,” he said. …

---

TOPICS: Education; Local News; Society; Travel
KEYWORDS: education; europe; eussr; fartyshadesofgreen; fartyshadesofjihad; fourthreich; ireland; statedepartment; thebeast; visa; visas

[9YearLurker]

I get that, but I don’t like normalizing the social media disclosures. Too creepy. If there’s that much question, don’t let them in.

[Jonty30]

What social media accounts, officer?

[No name given]

‘If there’s that much question, don’t let them in.’

Excellent advice.

[stanne]

If people think that prospective employers of professionals do not look at social media I believe they are mistaken. I may be wrong.

[ConservativeMind]

This seems extreme.

[FreeperCell]

Boating accident.

[This_Dude]

Who in God’s name wants to be educated HERE!?

[Angelino97]

I've read that many employers require that applicants reveal their social media, including private posts. It's part of the modern vetting process.

Which made me wonder, what if someone never had a social media profile? I've never had a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media account.

I've also heard that some employers think that having no social media is a red flag.

Which seems ridiculous to me.

[midwest_hiker]

I remember when they wanted all social media posts when buying a firearm.

[hillarys cankles]

I don’t have a social media which lost me many dates. It was a disappointment but oh well…………

[Olog-hai]

Don’t know if the State Department is being misrepresented in this article, but there are a lot of radicals in Irish academic circles either way.

[metmom]

“A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” it said.

Thank God someone gets it.

[metmom]

I get that, but I don’t like normalizing the social media disclosures. Too creepy.

I don't have a problem with it. If someone is willing to post their opinion publicly, they can own it.

[lastchance]

It is a bit much. For one thing people do change over 5 years. Especially young people. I would not judge an 20 year old solely by what they posted when they were 16.

[Candor7]

US Universities are world wide centers of leftist indoctrination.

Trump is simply putting an end to it......

Good plan.

[FLT-bird]

Taoiseach Micheal Martin condemned the new requirements as “excessive” and said that they will cause “fear and anxiety” among young people. “I believe those measures by the United States are excessive. I don’t approve of them and I don’t agree with them,” he said. …

Well dude...we don't give the slightest chit what you think about it. America is not your country.

[Sirius Lee]

I wonder if they apply the same requirements to students from china or muslim terrorist nations?

[magooey]

I wonder if they apply the same requirements to students from china or muslim terrorist nations?

I would speculate that the authorities are making clear these requirements apply to all, even students from Western countries. There should be no nonsensical complaints about a "Muslim ban".

[sphinx]

If we demand this, we cannot object if other countries do it as well. Any freepers who boast that they don’t use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media need to reflect that this would extend to FR accounts and handles as well.

I know, I know ... online anonymity may be mostly an illusion anyway, at least in the face of any sophisticated checker. But we should think twice before we abandon the principle. I guess VPN’s would have to go as well. So should all pseudonyms in published content.

Stand naked in the public square or keep your mouth shut. And be prepared for retaliation in every dimension of communication.

A change like this shouldn’t just pop up as a regulatory tweak from anonymous fedgov bureaucrats. It’s not an exact parallel, but I’m reminded of the unleashing of the trans dogmatism, which swept almost overnight across academia, the media and government, via a routine “Dear Colleague” letter issued by the Department of Education as a minor tweak to the Title IX regs: no discussion, no rulemaking, no legislation. Because the world can be stood on its head by fiat.