• The US State Department resumes processing student visas requiring applicants to unlock social media accounts for review.
• New guidelines demand that applicants set their social media accounts to public, scrutinizing for hostility towards the US.
• This policy targets international students from countries like China, India, and Mexico, impacting enrollment at US universities.

The U.S. State Department has announced a resumption of the suspended process for foreign students applying for visas, but with a crucial new requirement: applicants must make their social media accounts public for government review. This decision comes after temporary suspension of visa processing that began on May 27, aimed at enhancing social media vetting to safeguard national security. According to SCMP, students who refuse to comply may face visa denial as their reluctance could be interpreted as an attempt to conceal information.

Consular officers are instructed to conduct a "comprehensive and thorough vetting" of applicants, looking for any signs of "hostility toward the United States, its culture, or government," as emphasized in statements released by the State Department, according to CBS News and Los Angeles Times.

The guidelines apply to all F, M, and J visa applicants, who must adjust their social media privacy settings to allow consular review of their online activity. Failure to do so may indicate that they are trying to hide their online presence, which could lead to rejection of their visa applications, as reported by BBC and HuffPost.

Students are particularly anxious about these new requirements as they prepare to attend universities in the U.S., with many already expressing concern that their social media activities might affect their visa eligibility. This policy could significantly impact enrollment from countries with large student populations, such as China and India, where extensive vetting is especially concerning, as noted by Africanews and Channel News Asia.

Experts have raised alarms over the potential chilling effect of this policy on students' willingness to express political opinions online, fearing that these changes could lead to broader implications for free speech rights in both domestic and international contexts. Some immigration experts suggest that the vague criteria for assessing "hostility" may result in inconsistent applications of the new policy, as suggested by India Times and Anadolu Agency.