The U.S. State Department has resumed processing student visa applications after a temporary suspension in May, but with new conditions that require all applicants to make their social media accounts publicly accessible for review.
In a notice made public Wednesday, the department said that foreign students who fail to unlock their accounts may be denied a visa, as this could suggest they are trying to hide something.
The department added that consular officers would now screen applicants’ online activity for any signs of hostility toward the United States, including its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.
"The Trump administration last month temporarily halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while preparing to expand the screening of their activity on social media," officials said.
Many students had been anxiously waiting for interviews to resume, with time running out to arrange travel and housing before the school year begins. On Wednesday afternoon, a 27-year-old Ph.D. student in Toronto secured a visa appointment for next week.
The Chinese national, who is heading to the U.S. for a research internship in late July, expressed relief. "I'm really relieved," said the student, who spoke on condition of being identified only by his surname, Chen, because he was concerned about being targeted. "I've been refreshing the website couple of times every day."
Others from China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines also shared online how they have been closely monitoring consular websites and press briefings to know when interviews would restart.
As part of the new changes, the State Department directed consulates to prioritize applicants enrolling in colleges where foreign students make up less than 15% of the student population, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Data from 2023 shows that more than 15% of students at nearly 200 universities in the U.S. are international. These include all eight Ivy League schools and several large public universities such as the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State University.
In the past year, international students have faced increasing scrutiny. Earlier this year, the Trump administration revoked study permits for thousands of students, including some with only minor traffic offenses, before later reversing the decision.
It also widened the rules under which student visas could be cancelled.
Harvard University has also come under pressure. The Trump administration has tried to block foreign students from attending the Ivy League institution, arguing that it should limit international enrollment to 15%.
The school relies heavily on international students for tuition income and makes up about a quarter of its student body.
Explaining the social media checks, the State Department said Wednesday, "will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country." Internal instructions to consular staff emphasized looking for "any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States."
However, critics have raised alarm over the policy. Jameel Jaffer, executive director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said, "This policy makes a censor of every consular officer, and it will inevitably chill legitimate political speech both inside and outside the United States."
The social media screening is also part of a wider push by the Trump administration to tighten immigration rules. A diplomatic cable sent over the weekend revealed that 36 countries have been given 60 days to improve how they vet travelers or risk being added to a U.S. travel ban list that already includes 12 nations.