New US visa rules will demand access to foreign students’ social media accounts
19 June 2025, 08:04
The US has said they will resume visa applications for foreign students - but student applicants must unlock their social media profiles so diplomats can check for “indications of hostility”.
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The US State Department has said on Wednesday they will be resuming the suspended application process for student visas - but social media checks will be a new part of the deal.
The Department has said consular officers will look out for posts and messages that could be considered “hostile” to the United States, its government, culture or institutions.
They have said students who refuse to set their profiles public may be rejected, as it could be a sign they are trying to evade security or hide their online activity.
Politico also revealed a directive to flag any “advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to US security,” as well as “support for unlawful antisemitic violence or harassment”.
In May the Trump administration suspended students’ visa interviews, as they prepared to expand their scope for surveillance of “hostile” applications.
An escalation in tensions with China over tariffs and rare earth minerals has also increased scrutiny on Chinese students applying for visas.
The new guidelines will affect applications for an F visa, which primarily affects students.
Read More: Trump sparks chaos as he bans visas for all international students
M visas, primarily used for vocational studies, and J visas for exchange students, will also be affected by the new directive.
"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," a senior State Department official said.
In 2023, it was reported that foreign students made up more than 15% of the US student body across 200 universities.
The suspension of student visa applications in May caused a great deal of anxiety for prospective students, many of whom were in the process of booking their travel and accommodation for the year ahead.
The move comes amid a wider crackdown on elite universities deemed too left-wing by President Trump.
A similar directive against “antisemitic violence” was given by Homeland Security for wider immigration applications, and has been cited as a crackdown on criticism of the Israel-Gaza confrontation.
Trump has also accused the US’ top-performing universities of not tackling antisemitism, after pro-Palestinian protests cropped up on campuses across the country.
Among the universities was Harvard, which had $2.65 billion dollars’ worth of government grants frozen.