The United States has resumed processing student visa applications for international applicants, after a temporary suspension. The US State Department announced this decision on Wednesday, with a new requirement now in place for all applicants, a mandatory public access to their social media accounts.
According to the official notice, consular officers will now review applicants’ online activity as part of the screening process. Officers have been instructed to check for any posts, messages, or interactions that may appear hostile towards the United States, including its government, citizens, culture, institutions, or founding values.
The department said that applicants who refuse to set their social media profiles to the public may face rejection. Such refusal could be viewed as an attempt to hide potentially disqualifying behaviour or to avoid the screening process.
“We must ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country,” the department said.
This move follows a pause in visa interview appointments announced earlier by the Trump administration. During that time, officials evaluated new methods to tighten social media scrutiny for international students.
As visa interviews resume, students from around the world have only a limited window to complete their travel plans and housing arrangements before the academic year begins. The updated policy applies to both student and exchange visitor applicants.
The department said the enhanced vetting is part of a broader effort to improve national security while ensuring transparency from applicants.
Under the new guidelines, applicants will be required to adjust privacy settings across all their social media profiles to “public” to allow consular officers access for review.
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