U.S. resumes processing foreign student visas with new requirements

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday said it had resumed processing student visa applications from foreigners. Federal officials suspended the program in May and the state department began to aggressively revoke the visas of Chinese international students, especially those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. Now embassies and consulates around the world are resuming interviews and the vetting process for thousands of student and exchange visa applicants. The move comes as students are preparing to register for housing and enroll in courses for the fall semester.

What are the new vetting protocols? Foreigners will be required to set all social media profiles to public as part of the process so American officials can screen their online presence, according to the state department. Authorities will be looking for individuals who could pose a threat to U.S. national security and could revoke visa applications for those who refuse to make their accounts visible. Officials will look for applicants who could hold hostile attitudes toward American citizens, culture, government, and institutions, or who support designated terrorists, according to a report by The Free Press.

Dig deeper: Read my report about Harvard University’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to end the school’s international student program.