US new rule for student visa applicants
(MENAFN)
The U.S. State Department has introduced new requirements for student visa applicants, mandating that their social media accounts be set to public. The updated guidelines aim to expand security screening for foreign nationals seeking education or exchange opportunities in the United States.
The U.S. State Department has introduced new requirements for student visa applicants, mandating that their social media accounts be set to public. The updated guidelines aim to expand security screening for foreign nationals seeking education or exchange opportunities in the United States.
According to reports, the new policy affects those applying for F, M, and J visa categories, which correspond to academic, vocational, and cultural exchange programs. These changes follow a recent order from President Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily halt new student and exchange visa appointments until the updated procedures were finalized.
A directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed U.S. consulates to delay increasing appointment slots until the new protocols were officially in place.
“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 added that all applicants in the affected categories “will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’.”
Another directive, as reported, ordered American diplomatic staff to analyze applicants’ digital activity for any indication of anti-American sentiment, support for Hamas or other designated terrorist organizations, or signs of anti-Semitic violence.
The term “online presence” in this context goes beyond just social media—it includes publicly accessible data and resources such as LexisNexis. Consular officers will be required to document their findings through screenshots and case summaries.
Since returning to office, Trump has emphasized a crackdown on campus activism, urging universities to shut down what he labeled anti-Israel demonstrations and to dismantle programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
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