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Students on Harvard’s Campus
Image Caption: Students stroll through Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 23, 2025. Photo by Reuters.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government is instructing its diplomatic missions worldwide to restart student visa applications. However, applicants will need to make their social media accounts public for screening, according to a senior official from the State Department on Wednesday.
On May 27, the Trump administration had mandated that its foreign missions halt scheduling for new student and exchange visitor visa appointments while the State Department readied an expansion of social media scrutiny for international students.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that updated guidelines would be available once the review was completed.
On Wednesday, an anonymous State Department official explained that under the new rules, consular officers will undertake a "comprehensive and thorough review" of all applicants for student and exchange visitor visas.
"To facilitate this vetting process, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be prompted to switch their social media profiles to ‘public.’ We can also begin scheduling F, M, and J visa applications again," the official stated.
"The enhanced social media checks will guarantee that we thoroughly screen everyone trying to enter our country."
Officials from the Trump administration have asserted that holders of student visas and green cards could face deportation due to their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict, labeling their behavior a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accusing them of having pro-Hamas sentiments.
Critics of Trump argue that this initiative undermines free speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
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