नेपाल सम्वत् ११४५  तछलागाः ८ (असार ५, २०८२ ) जून १९, २०२५ ,बिहिबार, बाँपीझ्याला । The U.S. State Department announced it will resume processing student visa applications for foreign nationals, a process that had been suspended, with a significant new requirement: applicants must provide public access to their social media accounts. This measure is part of a broader effort to scrutinize online content for signs of hostility toward the United States, including its government, culture, and founding values. The department has warned that refusal to make accounts public could be interpreted as an attempt to conceal potentially disqualifying information, which may result in visa denial.

The Trump administration had temporarily halted visa interviews the previous month to develop and implement the expanded social media screening policy. This left many international students anxious, particularly those facing tight timelines for travel and housing ahead of the academic year. For instance, a Chinese Ph.D. student in Canada expressed relief after finally securing a visa interview appointment, reflecting a sentiment shared by many foreign students from countries such as China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, who have been closely tracking U.S. consulate announcements.

As part of the resumed visa process, the State Department is directing consulates to prioritize students applying to institutions where international students constitute less than 15% of the total student population. This threshold excludes many major U.S. universities—including all Ivy League schools and several large public institutions—that rely heavily on international students for both academic and financial contributions. According to federal data, nearly 200 universities in the U.S. exceed the 15% international enrollment mark, raising concerns about the accessibility of U.S. education for many foreign applicants.

The new visa policies come amid increased scrutiny of international students during the Trump administration. Recent actions have included abrupt visa revocations for minor infractions and efforts to limit foreign student enrollment at prominent universities such as Harvard. Critics, like Jameel Jaffer from the Knight First Amendment Institute, argue that this ideological screening harks back to Cold War-era censorship and may suppress legitimate political expression. Simultaneously, the U.S. is pressuring 36 countries to enhance traveler vetting or risk inclusion in an expanded travel ban, underscoring a broader strategy of tightening immigration and visitor screening.