The Trump administration announced late Wednesday that it will resume processing student visas, but applicants must make their social media profiles public to be approved.
The announcement follows a three-week pause on new student visa applications after officials said they were working to review and expand the processes for screening and vetting visa applicants. This includes inspecting social media accounts, a practice the State Department previously employed for some students. An expansion of this effort is expected to significantly slow down the visa application process.
Students have been subject to background checks before entering the U.S., but whether the additional screenings will result in delays remains to be seen.
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"The State Department is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right," the State Department said. "We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.
"Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications."
Applicants are required to be enrolled in an academic educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program full-time, and maintain a residence abroad.
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More than 1.1 million international students were studying at U.S. institutions during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Institute of International Education. Those students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 378,000 jobs, according to data from NAFSA, a nonprofit association of international educators.
The Trump administration has also attempted to prevent Harvard University from admitting international students, citing national security concerns. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the White House from barring Harvard from welcoming foreign students. That case is pending in federal courts.
