US resumes student visas with stricter social media scrutiny

The United States has announced enhanced social media screening requirements for foreign nationals applying for student and exchange visitor visas, as per reports. 

As per new US State Department guidelines released on Wednesday, applicants will now be required to make their social media profiles publicly accessible during the visa vetting process to ensure anti-US content is not propagated.

The United States had temporarily halted student visa processing at the end of May to finalise the updated guidelines. With the new rules now in place, the US State Department announced on Wednesday it has restarted processing of student visa applications and consular services are expected to resume scheduling appointments in the coming days.

According to reports from US officials, the enhanced scrutiny is part of a broader national security measure aimed at identifying individuals who may express anti-American sentiments online. 

All student visa applicants will reportedly undergo comprehensive vetting by consular officers, which includes examining their online presence across social platforms.

Indian students, who account for a significant portion of international enrolments in US universities second only to China, are likely to be directly affected by the revised policy. In 2023 alone, over 250,000 Indian students were studying in the US, and the country remains a top destination for higher education among Indian youth.

To comply with the new rules, applicants will need to change the privacy settings of their social media accounts to ‘public’ as part of the visa interview process. 

Under the proposed measures, consular officials would be tasked with examining applicants’ online presence – scrutinising posts, comments, likes, and shares on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) – to identify any content that might raise national security concerns.