US restarts student visa interviews but applicants' social media accounts must be public

Online activity considered hostile to the US could result in visa denial

Chinese students wait outside the US embassy in Beijing for visa application interviews. AP

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.