The State Department says the new requirement is designed to ensure visitors do not pose a threat to the United States.
The US State Department has announced that student visa applicants will now be required to make their social media accounts publicly accessible. This change broadens the screening process for individuals seeking to study in the US.
Last month, the Trump administration directed consulates to temporarily halt new student and exchange visa appointments while finalizing the updated procedures. A directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed these posts to refrain from increasing appointment capacity until further guidance was provided.
The new rules affect F, M, and J visa categories, which encompass academic, vocational, and exchange programs. The State Department stated that it will utilize all available data to identify applicants who might present a national security risk or fail to adhere to visa requirements.
“Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications,” the department said on Wednesday. It also stated that all applicants in the affected categories “will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’.”
A separate cable, reported by Politico, instructed US diplomats to scrutinize online activity for indications of hostility towards Americans, support for Hamas or other terrorist organizations, or anti-Semitic violence.
“Online presence” includes social media, public records, and databases such as LexisNexis. Officers are required to take screenshots and document their findings in case notes.
Since returning to office, Trump has urged universities to shut down anti-Israel protests, which he has labeled as anti-Semitic, and to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
This new visa policy follows a pilot screening program at Harvard University, where several foreign students were denied entry after officials identified problematic content online. Subsequently, the administration revoked the university’s authorization to enroll international students, alleging a failure to address campus extremism and a rejection of federal oversight.
Harvard has criticized the measures as unlawful and politically motivated retaliation, arguing that they significantly harm its academic mission and global standing.
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