US tightens student visa screening
The US has resumed processing student visas after a brief suspension, but with new rules that require foreign applicants to grant access to their social media accounts.
According to an internal State Department cable, the US State Department announced this on Wednesday, linking the policy to national security concerns.
The department says that consular officers will be looking for activity, posts and messages showing ‘any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States’.
Consular officers are now required to conduct a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants, according to the cable.
Applicants must now make their accounts ‘public’, thus allowing consular officers to examine their online posts and messages.
Refusing to grant access could result in a visa being rejected, as the authorities would treat this as an attempt to evade screening.
“Remind the applicant that limited access to their online presence could be perceived as an attempt to conceal certain activities,” the cable said.
The announcement is the latest step in President Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on international students.
The decision follows its suspension of visa interviews last month while preparing broader screening measures. This resumption will offer some relief to students worldwide who have been waiting to finalise travel and housing plans before the start of the academic year.
The department has also introduced new internal guidelines that prioritise students applying to institutions with an international enrolment of less than 15 percent.
This excludes many prestigious universities, including Ivy League institutions and large public universities such as the University of Illinois.
The US says social media screenings form part of wider efforts to tighten immigration and student visa regulations. Earlier this year, the permissions of some foreign students were revoked due to minor legal infractions, though this decision was later overturned.
Furthermore, the administration has warned countries to improve their traveller vetting procedures or risk being included on the US travel ban list.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State and Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, said he has revoked the visas of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people, including students, because they were involved in activities that he claims conflict with US foreign policy priorities.
These activities include showing support for Palestinians and criticising Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war.
International students in the US have been facing increased scrutiny on several fronts. Earlier this year, the Trump administration revoked the right to study in the US for thousands of students, including those involved in minor traffic offences, before abruptly changing its mind. The government has also expanded the grounds on which the legal status of foreign students can be terminated.
The Trump administration has also called on 36 countries to improve their traveller vetting procedures, or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. According to a diplomatic cable sent by the State Department over the weekend, the countries have 60 days to address US concerns or risk being added to a travel ban that currently includes 12 nations.
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