What to Know About New Social Media Screening Rules for Student Visas

Prospective students applying for U.S. student visas must now unlock their social media accounts for government review, the State Department said Wednesday.

The notice instructs applicants for F, M, and J visas to change their social media profile privacy settings to “public.” A separate cable, obtained by multiple news outlets, directed embassies and consulates to vet applicants for “hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” while visa appointments, which had been suspended in May, are allowed to resume. The guidance comes amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown on universities, including by targeting international students.