US Government: Students applying for student visas will have their social media accounts checked

(Dan Tri) - From June 18, US embassy and consulate staff will conduct a comprehensive review of all applications, including online activities, of all applicants for student and academic exchange visas in the US.

According to US media, the issuance of visa interview appointments for studying in the US has been resumed at US embassies and consulates, after a short interruption.

However, from now on, the application review process will include checking the social media accounts of visa applicants to detect individuals with extremist ideology that could threaten US national security.

Previously, on May 27, the administration of US President Donald Trump directed US diplomatic missions around the world to temporarily stop issuing new appointments for people applying for student and academic exchange visas.

From now on, US diplomatic missions will closely review the social media accounts of students and scholars applying for study and academic exchange visas in the US (Illustration photo: Straits Times).

This pause is for US authorities to come up with new guidelines for the application review process.

During the application review process from now on, US diplomatic mission staff are allowed to ask visa applicants to publicly disclose all content on their personal social media accounts.

Restricting access to social media accounts can be interpreted as an attempt to conceal suspicious activity.

The new guidelines are part of a series of measures to strengthen background checks for people seeking to enter the United States. These are considered experimental steps for expanding widespread screening activities.

US authorities now require staff at US embassies and consulates to conduct comprehensive checks on the entire “online presence” of visa applicants, not just their social media activities.

Reviewers are encouraged to use search tools from appropriate data sources to detect anomalies.

Analysts say US embassies and consulates may have to cut back on the number of visa appointments they offer, as the current vetting process requires a more thorough and time-consuming process. As a result, the number of applications processed may be reduced.

Currently, the US government is aiming to prioritize expedited appointments for foreign doctors coming to the US under medical exchange programs, as well as giving priority to students planning to study at US universities where the number of international students accounts for less than 15% of the total student body.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/chinh-phu-my-sinh-vien-xin-visa-du-hoc-se-bi-ra-soat-tai-khoan-mang-xa-hoi-20250620091021925.htm