Foreign students to unlock social media accounts for U.S. visa applications

The United States State Department says it is restarting the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review.

The department, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, said consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that could be deemed hostile to the United States, its government, culture, institutions, or founding principles.

In a notice made public on Wednesday, the department said it had rescinded its May suspension of student visa processing but said new applicants who refuse to set their social media accounts to “public” and allow them to be reviewed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 Trump administration last month temporarily halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while preparing to expand the screening of their activity on social media, officials said.

Students around the world have been waiting anxiously for United States 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.

Harvard University secures court order blocking Trump’s foreign student ban

On Wednesday afternoon, a 27-year-old PhD student in Toronto was able to secure an appointment for a visa interview next week.

The student, a Chinese national, hopes to travel to the U.S. for a research intern position that would start in late July.

“I’m really relieved,” said the student, who spoke on condition of being identified only by his surname, Chen, because he was concerned about being targeted.

“I’ve been refreshing the website couple of times every day,” he told AFP.

Students from China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines have posted on social media sites that they have been monitoring visa booking websites and closely watching press briefings of the State Department to get any indication of when appointment bookings might resume.

As part of a pressure campaign targeting Harvard University, the Trump administration has moved to block foreign students from attending the Ivy League school, which counts on international students for tuition dollars and a quarter of its enrolment.

Trump has said Harvard should cap its foreign enrolment at 15%.

The Trump administration also has called for 36 countries to commit to improving vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States.

A weekend diplomatic cable sent by the State Department says the countries have 60 days to address U.S. concerns or risk being added to a travel ban that now includes 12 nations.

The Star