US Cranks Up the Scrutiny: Examining Social Media Profiles of Foreign Students Aiming for American Shores
U.S. authorities scrutinize social media accounts of foreign students during visa issuance process. - US scrutinizes social media accounts of international student visa applicants
Here's the lowdown:
The powwow in Washington just got a whole lot more intense for foreign students seeking to study in the land of the free and the home of the brave. New guidelines revealed this week mandate that applicants make their social media profiles accessible to the public for scrutiny.
The US, known for its warm welcome mat, had put a temporary hold on visa processing for foreign students back in May. But the winds of change are stirring, and fresh applications are now back on the table.
Following orders from President Donald Trump soon after he took office, all potential visitors must demonstrate they don’t bear a grudge against American citizens, culture, government, institutions, or the founding principles of the USA.
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According to reports, the State Department rolled out an extended screening and vetting process that includes flipping a switch on social media privacy settings to "public." This allows consular officers to peek into applicants' online lives, watching for anything that could hint at hostility or opposing views towards America. They're also on the lookout for advocacy or support of foreign terrorist organizations and any potential threats to national security.
This is an expansion on a pilot program launched at Harvard University, now casting a wider net across all student visa seekers. The visa processing hiatus is over, and embassies and consulates have been instructed to rekindle scheduling of new student visa interviews while managing the increased workload from the expanded social media screening. The message of the day emphasizes that obtaining a US visa is a privilege, with each approval seen as a crucial national security decision to safeguard Americans and US national interests[1][2][3].
- The new guidelines for foreign students applying to study in the United States require them to make their social media profiles accessible to the public for scrutiny, as part of an extended screening and vetting process aimed at ensuring they do not hold hostile views towards America or pose a threat to national security.
- As political tensions mount, the scrutiny of foreign students applying for visas to study in the United States has become increasingly intense, with the ushering in of new policies emphasizing the privilege of obtaining a US visa and the importance of each approval as a national security decision to safeguard Americans and US national interests. [policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news]
