Tougher rules for foreign students; Trump team enforces social media checks — what changes now?
Representational Image
The Donald Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it is restarting visa interviews for foreign nationals who want to study in the United States.
This comes a month after the administration
temporarily halted
new student visa interviews amid its plans to
scrutinise social media accounts
of such applicants.
The vetting process
As per the State Department, consular officers will conduct a "comprehensive and thorough" vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants.
Also Read | One post, many consequences: How social media can shape a student's future in the USA
To facilitate this, the applicants will have to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to public.
What does this mean?
Individuals who want to study in America can now schedule their interviews for students visas, but they will be required to unlock their social media accounts for a review by the US government.
Also Read | US makes it clear: We will revoke or deny visa if your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter posts are in support of ...
In a notice, announcing resumption of the suspension of student visa processing, the State Department announced that new applicants who refuse to set their social media accounts to 'public' for a US government review could be rejected.
According to the notice, a refusal to make social media handles public "could be a sign they (applicants) are trying to evade the requirement or hide their online activity."
"Consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that could be deemed hostile to the United States, its government, culture, institutions or founding principles," it added.
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Around the world, students have been waiting anxiously for America's consulates to reopen appointments for visa interviews, as the window left to book their travel and make housing arrangements narrows ahead of the start of the school year.
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