June 19 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department has announced it will soon resume scheduling interviews for overseas visa applications, while stating that the screening process will now include social media vetting.
The State Department made the announcement Wednesday, after it had placed a hold on new interviews for foreign student visa applications last month amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
In Wednesday’s statement, the State Department said that under the new guidance, it will “conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants.” The process applies to F, M and J nonimmigrant classifications, it said.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public,'” it said.
It did not state exactly when the scheduling of applications by overseas posts would resume.
“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,” it said.
“A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”
The announcement comes as the Trump administration has targeted foreign students studying in the United States for deportation over their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel over its war in Gaza.
The Trump administration suspended interviews for foreign student visa applications late last month as it ordered the expansion of the vetting process to include social media screening for alleged anti-Semitism posts and material.
