State Department Orders Enhanced Online Screening for Student Visa Applicants

By Staff, Agencies

The Trump administration has resumed student visa appointments while introducing stricter social media screening measures aimed at identifying applicants who may hold hostile views toward the United States.

According to an internal State Department cable dated June 18 and reviewed by Reuters, consular officers are now required to conduct “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants. The goal is to detect individuals who may harbor adverse attitudes toward US citizens, culture, institutions or founding principles.

This change follows a May 27 directive that temporarily halted new student and exchange visa appointments while the administration reviewed plans to expand social media scrutiny. The new guidance, issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also instructs consular officers to evaluate applicants' history of political activism—especially if it's associated with violence or views considered incompatible with US values.

As part of the updated procedures, applicants may be asked to make all social media accounts public. The cable notes that limited access to online profiles could be interpreted as an attempt to conceal certain activities.

The directive also recommends reviewing applicants' complete online presence—not just their social media accounts—by using search engines and other online resources to uncover potentially disqualifying information. For example, expressions of support for designated groups such as Hamas may be grounds for visa denial.

The administration has already revoked the visas of hundreds, potentially thousands, of individuals based on similar criteria. These include support for Palestinians or criticism of the “Israeli” entity's actions in the war on Gaza, according to Secretary Rubio.

One high-profile case involved a Turkish student at Tufts University who was detained for over six weeks in a Louisiana immigration center after co-authoring an article critical of her university’s response to the Gaza war. A federal judge later granted her bail.

Critics of the new policy have raised concerns over its potential impact on free speech and academic freedom. Although student and exchange visa appointments will now resume, the State Department has advised posts to limit scheduling volume due to the added workload from the new vetting procedures.

The directive also prioritizes appointments for certain categories, such as foreign-born physicians participating in medical exchange programs and students applying to US universities where international enrollment is below 15%.

At Harvard University, where international students comprise about 27% of the student body, the administration has already taken steps to freeze federal grants and funding—a move seen as part of a broader policy shift targeting elite institutions.

Consular posts have been instructed to begin implementing the expanded vetting procedures within five business days.