The United States government has announced the resumption of student visa processing for foreign nationals, but with a controversial new condition: applicants must grant consular officers full access to their social media accounts.
This directive, revealed on Wednesday by the US State Department, is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to intensify security screenings of foreign students entering the country. Consular officers have, as a result, now been instructed to reject applications from individuals who refuse to set their social media profiles to “public” or who decline to provide access.
Earlier Student Visa Interview Suspension
The move follows last month’s suspension of student visa interview appointments, which had left thousands of prospective international students in limbo. The administration had paused the process to prepare for this expanded social media vetting, according to officials, causing anxieties among international students.
New Directive
The State Department has instructed consulates to prioritize applicants bound for U.S. institutions where international students represent less than 15% of the student population. As a result of this, nearly 200 universities including all Ivy League schools where foreign students exceed that threshold are all affected.
Harvard University, long reliant on international tuition fees, has become a particular target of the Trump administration’s intensified scrutiny of international students and push for a cap of 15% on its foreign student enrollment.
Earlier this year, thousands of students saw their legal status revoked in some cases over minor infractions before the government partially rescinded the decision amid backlash.
Defending the new screening requirements, the State Department described the social media checks as necessary to identify applicants who may pose ideological threats to U.S. values, institutions, or citizens. But critics argue the policy crosses a dangerous line.
