In a move that significantly expands surveillance of foreign nationals seeking to study in the United States, the Trump administration has introduced a controversial new policy requiring student visa applicants to make their social media profiles publicly accessible. The State Department confirmed the directive, which applies to all individuals applying for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa categories-covering academic, vocational, and cultural exchange programs-will be immediately implemented following a pause in student visa processing earlier this year.

This drastic tightening of visa vetting procedures reflects President Donald Trump’s intensified focus on national security and cultural assimilation amid heightened concerns over anti-Israel protests and the presence of what his administration calls “ideological extremism” on US campuses.

According to a cable sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, consulates were instructed not to resume new student and exchange visa appointments until updated guidance was in place. That guidance now includes mandatory scrutiny of online presence-including social media, blogs, and public database records-for all applicants in the affected visa categories.

“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,” the State Department said in a press release. “All applicants in the affected categories will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’.”

The change is aimed at preventing individuals deemed security threats from entering the country, the State Department argued, noting that online activity will now be a central component of visa eligibility.

Officials will........

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