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Compass News
Parliament set to open Wednesday
Parliament is set to officially open tomorrow, with three bills on the agenda for debate.
This will be the first meeting of the 2025–2026 session.
It all gets underway tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. with a ceremonial parade in front of the House of Parliament.
Governor Jane Owen will deliver the Throne Speech before House business begins.
Several annual reports from a variety of government entities are expected to be tabled.
The Premier and members of the Government will also face questions from MPs on the other side of the aisle on various topics.
Government will also present bills relating to the financial services industries, as well as amendments to the Public Service Management Act.
The proceedings will be broadcast live via the CIGTV YouTube channel and Radio Cayman.
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Cayman Compass
US student visa interviews resume but students must unlock social media
The United States has resumed US student visa interview appointments for international students but with a new requirement: applicants must make their social media profiles public.
The new condition affects all applicants for F, M, and J visas, including students from the Cayman Islands. As of 2024, 439 Caymanian students were enrolled in US institutions, either on campus or online, according to the Ministry of Education.
The expanded vetting measures, announced in a US State Department media note and a separate cable released on Wednesday, are framed as a national security enhancement. Under the new policy, students must adjust their privacy settings on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) to ensure consular officers can view their content.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public,’” the note stated. “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”
