US rolls out tighter visa regulations
Shafaq News/ The United States has expanded visa screening requirements to include broader reviews of applicants’ social media activity, following a directive issued by the Department of State.
The March 25 directive instructs consular officers to conduct full reviews of social media profiles for all applicants seeking F-1 academic, J-1 exchange, and M vocational or non-academic student's visas. It also applies retroactively to individuals who held or lost such visas between October 7, 2023, and August 31, 2024.
Officers are directed to assess any content that may fall under "terrorism-related" ineligibility criteria.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures are intended to enforce eligibility requirements. “We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety,” he said. “I don’t know when we got it in our head that a visa is some sort of birthright. It is not.”
The State Department has also launched the “Catch and Revoke” program, which uses artificial intelligence to monitor international students’ social media activity for content linked to designated "terrorist" organizations, including Hamas, leading to multiple visa revocations. Rights groups have expressed concern over potential impacts on free expression and the reliability of automated content screening.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has proposed a rule that would require applicants for green cards, asylum, and US citizenship to provide their social media identifiers, to "strengthen identity verification procedures."
At US entry points, travelers and visa holders have reported increased scrutiny, including extended interviews and searches, under the government’s expanded “extreme vetting” policy.
Officials have advised visa applicants to ensure their digital records are consistent and accurate, noting that flagged or inconsistent content may result in delays, denials, or revocations.
