The State Department said on Wednesday that international students can again apply for US visas but all applicants must unlock their social media accounts for government inspection.
The change means that applicants will be told to set all of their social media accounts to public. If they do not, it could be interpreted as an attempt to hide activity of which the government disapproves.
"Under new guidance, consular officers will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications," a senior State Department official said.
"The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country.”
Consular officers will be looking for anything that could indicate hostility towards the US, its government, culture, institutions or founding principles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month told embassies and consulates around the world to pause new foreign student interviews as the State Department implemented enhanced screening of applicants' social media histories.
In 2023-2024, the US hosted a record high of 1.1 million international students. About 90,000 were from the Arab World, according to estimates, while more than 300,000 were Indian.
The US administration's clampdown on international student visa processing caused dismay across campuses in the US and among people hoping to study there.
Mr Rubio also said last month that he would cancel visas for Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or who are studying in critical fields.
But President Donald Trump later said Chinese students would be allowed to attend US colleges and universities as part of trade negotiations with Beijing.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
PRISCILLA
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