The U.S. State Department has ended its suspension of student and exchange visitor visa appointments, while implementing stricter social media vetting requirements, according to a June 18 State Department cable sent to embassies and consulates and reporting in The Washington Post.
According to NAFSA's page on the expanded social media screening, the new vetting procedures require all F, J, and M visa applicants to "make all social media accounts public while consular officers conduct thorough reviews of their entire online presence using search engines and databases to identify 'potentially derogatory information' including political activism, terrorism support, anti-Semitic activities, or 'hostile attitudes' toward the United States."
The Washington Post article cites concerns from some educators that the new procedures could increase visa denials or discourage international students from pursuing study in the United States.
NAFSA Deputy Executive Director for Public Policy Jill Allen Murray is quoted in the piece, expressing relief that interviews are restarting. However, she also noted NAFSA's concern about the negative impact of the pause on international students and higher education institutions.
