Advocates for foreign students fear that a new Trump administration visa requirement of a social media review will serve as an ideological litmus test.

While the resumption of visa applications was welcomed, the State Department's announcement that it would require public access to applicants' posts added a new layer of uncertainty to the process.

“It's good news, bad news. I mean, I'm happy that the interviews are opening up again, because there's a lot of students that are running out of time to get here in the fall, and so that was creating a lot of stress and anxiety for them. But also ... there's still a lot of uncertainty,” said Shaun Carver, executive director of International House at the University of California, Berkeley.

“I don't think it's unreasonable to ask to check people's social media accounts to come to the United States and make sure that they have the right intentions ... I think what we've learned from this administration is that there's no clarity on what they're looking,” he added. “Is it anything critical of Trump will be triggered that you're not allowed to come or are they looking for something that's more specific to national security, not just political viewpoints?”

The State Department said it would look for those “who pose a threat to U.S. national security.” A person who refuses to make their social media accounts public could be denied a student visa to the United........

© The Hill