The US State Department says it is resuming the suspended process for foreign students applying for visas but must make their social media accounts accessible for government review.
On Wednesday the department said it had reversed its May suspension of student visa processing but said new applicants who refuse to set their social media accounts to “public” and allow them to be reviewed may be rejected. It said a refusal to do so could be a sign they are trying to evade the requirement or hide their online activity.
The department warned that consular officers will monitor social media from any content that may be seen as hostile to the US ,its government and its values.
The Trump Administration last month temporarily halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. Students around the world have been waiting anxiously for U.S. consulates to reopen appointments for visa interviews, as the window left to book their travel and make housing arrangements narrows ahead of the start of the school year.
Foreign students make up more than 15% of the population at about 100 universities including all eight Ivy League schools.
