US to resume student visa appointments: State Department official

WASHINGTON: The United States is directing its US diplomatic missions abroad to resume student visa applications, but is requiring applicants to make their social media profiles public for vetting purposes, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday.

On May 27, the Trump administration ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepared to expand social media vetting of foreign students.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said updated guidance would be released once a review was completed.

On Wednesday, a State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said under new guidance, consular officers will conduct a "comprehensive and thorough vetting" of all student and exchange visitor applicants.

"To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be asked to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to 'public.' Posts may resume scheduling F, M, and J visa applications," the official said.

"The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country."

Trump administration officials have said student visa and green-card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to US foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas.

Trump's critics have called the effort an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.