Washington, June 19 (AP) - The US State Department announced on Wednesday that it is resuming the student visa application process for foreign applicants, with a new requirement for all applicants to provide access to their social media accounts for government scrutiny.
The department emphasized that consular officers will examine social media posts and messages for any content that may display hostility toward the United States, its government, culture, institutions, or founding principles.
On Wednesday, the department unveiled this new condition as it lifted the suspension of student visa processing enacted in May. Applicants who do not make their social media publicly accessible for review risk rejection, as refusal could suggest an attempt to conceal their online activity.
The temporary halt last month by the Trump administration of new visa interview scheduling for aspiring foreign students was part of plans to broaden social media screening, officials explained.
International students awaiting the resumption of visa interview appointments at US consulates face time pressure in arranging travel and accommodations as the academic year approaches.
A 27-year-old PhD student from Toronto, who wishes to remain anonymous and be identified only as 'Chen' due to concerns over being targeted, managed to book a visa interview appointment for next week. The Chinese national, looking forward to a research internship starting in late July in the US, expressed relief after monitoring appointment availability closely.
Students from countries like China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines have actively checked visa booking websites and monitored State Department briefings for updates on the reopening of appointment scheduling.
The State Department's renewed visa processing also directs consulates to prioritize students enrolling in colleges where foreign students constitute less than 15% of the student body, according to a US official familiar with these internal guidelines.
Foreign students currently represent over 15% of the total enrollment at nearly 200 US universities, based on Associated Press analysis of 2023 federal education data. This category predominantly encompasses private institutions, including all eight Ivy League schools, as well as 26 public universities such as the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State University. Among undergraduates, more than 15% are international students at around 100 universities, mostly private.
International student scrutiny in the US has heightened, with recent spring actions by the Trump administration revoking study permissions even for minor offenses, later reversed, and expanding grounds for status termination.
In an effort targeting Harvard University, which relies on international tuition and enrollments, Trump's administration proposed capping foreign student enrollment at 15%.
On Wednesday, the State Department justified the new social media vetting requirement, stating it aims to ensure thorough visitor screening.
Consular officers received internal guidance to look for any hostile indications toward US citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles in applicants' online content.
Jameel Jaffer, executive director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, criticized the policy as reminiscent of Cold War ideological vetting when notable artists and intellectuals faced exclusion.
“This policy deputizes consular officers as censors, inevitably chilling legitimate political discourse domestically and internationally,” Jaffer remarked.
In a related move, the Trump administration required 36 countries to bolster traveler vetting or face travel bans, extending a threat to add nations to an existing list of 12 under travel prohibition if concerns remain unaddressed within 60 days.
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