[Text/Observer Network Zhang Jingjuan] Three weeks after the freeze on new student visa interviews, the US announced the resumption of processing visas for foreign students and visiting scholars, but will conduct online reviews of applicants.

On June 18, the US Department of State issued a statement saying that overseas embassies and consulates would soon restart the process for foreign student visa applications.

According to the new guidelines, the US will conduct comprehensive and thorough reviews of all F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applicants for students and exchange visitors, covering all information including their online activities.

The statement reads that in order to facilitate the review, all F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applicants must adjust the privacy settings of all their social media accounts to "public".

In the visa screening and review process, the US will use all available information to identify applicants who do not meet the entry qualifications, including those who pose a threat to national security.

According to a report by CNN, the US Department of State informed all embassies and consulates earlier that day that they must review whether student visa applicants are "hostile" to "American citizens, culture, government, institutions, etc.", "support, assist or fund designated terrorists and others who pose a threat to national security", and "carry out illegal anti-Semitic harassment or violent acts".

The US Department of State gave an example: if an applicant supports Hamas or its activities on social platforms, such an applicant may be denied a visa.

Screenshot of the US Department of State's statement

In a telegram to embassies and consulates, the US Department of State said that the review will cover the "entire online footprint" of student and exchange visa applicants. Consular officials will verify all accessible databases.

If an applicant fails to comply with the requirement to open their account, it may be considered as evading the review or attempting to hide their online activities, which could result in the denial of the visa.

It is reported that the US Department of State requires each embassy and consulate to implement the new review measures within five working days and resume visa appointments. However, they need to consider the impact of the new regulations on workload when arranging appointment times. It remains unclear whether embassies and consulates can handle the same number of visa applications as before under the new review standards.

According to the requirements, embassies and consulates should expedite the processing of J-1 physician visas and visas for students at schools where foreign students make up less than 15% of the total student population.

According to an analysis of 2023 federal education data by the Associated Press, among nearly 200 universities in the US, foreign students account for more than 15% of the total student population. Most of these are private universities, including eight Ivy League schools, as well as 26 public universities, such as the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State University. Looking at the undergraduate population alone, about 100 universities have foreign student populations exceeding 15%, and most of these schools are private institutions.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute, said that the new rules evoke ideological reviews from the Cold War era, during which many well-known artists and intellectuals were denied entry into the US.

Jaffer said, "The new rule turns every consular officer into a reviewer, and it will inevitably suppress legitimate political discourse both inside and outside the US."

Earlier (on May 27), the US government had ordered all overseas embassies and consulates to immediately suspend new visa interview appointments for international students.

Prior to this, the Trump administration also cut financial support for Harvard University and arrested some international students holding valid visas. Public opinion in the US generally believes that the Trump administration specifically targeted Harvard and other universities because the Republicans considered these universities to be strongholds of left-wing liberalism or the Democratic Party.

In response to the US resuming student visa interviews but requiring all applicants to publicly disclose their social media accounts, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on the regular press conference on the 19th that educational cooperation between China and the US is mutually beneficial. China has always opposed the politicization of educational cooperation and hopes that the US will implement President Trump's statement welcoming Chinese students to study in the US, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and scholars in the US.

This article is an exclusive article by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517586801473782291/

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