The U.S. State Department has resumed the scheduling of student visa appointments for international applicants, but with a sweeping new requirement: all applicants must unlock and provide access to their social media profiles for enhanced security screening.
The move marks a significant expansion of social media vetting for those seeking entry into the U.S. under the F, M, and J visa categories, covering academic, vocational, and exchange programs respectively. A State Department spokesperson confirmed the directive, noting that individuals who keep their accounts private could be deemed suspicious and may be denied visas.
“Applicants must be transparent. Keeping social media private may be interpreted as an attempt to conceal activities or views contrary to U.S. interests,” the department said.
The updated policy instructs consular officers to comb through social media accounts for any indication of “hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.” The screening will also include identifying those who support or promote terrorism, participate in antisemitic activities, or express ideologies deemed threatening to U.S. national security.
A senior State Department official defended the measure, stating, “It is an expectation from American citizens that their government will make every effort to make our country safer, and that is exactly what the Trump Administration is doing every single day.”
The policy shift follows the Trump administration’s suspension of student visa appointments in late May, as officials prepared to implement stricter immigration controls and ideological screening.
But the new guidelines go beyond border security, they are part of a broader crackdown on what former President Donald Trump has described as America’s “left-wing elite universities.” His administration has accused top institutions like Harvard of harboring antisemitic sentiment and failing to address pro-Palestinian protests adequately.
As part of this campaign, the Trump administration has attempted to freeze hundreds of millions in federal funding to these institutions, with Harvard alone seeing $2.65 billion withheld. Other efforts include pushing for the deportation of certain students and stripping universities of their ability to admit international applicants, moves that have faced legal challenges and been blocked or delayed by U.S. courts.
Despite this, international interest in American education remains high. According to Open Doors, more than 1.1 million international students from over 210 countries enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2023–2024 academic year.
Advocacy groups and civil liberties organizations have already begun raising concerns about the implications of the new policy, warning that it could violate privacy rights and discourage global talent from choosing U.S. institutions.
“The message this sends to the world is that freedom of expression, even online, may cost you an education in America,” said one immigration advocate.
As of now, all applicants hoping to study in the U.S. must ensure their online footprints are visible and inoffensive to U.S. officials, a new era of digital transparency with real-world consequences.
Source: BBC
