According to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters, US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered the resumption of student visa appointments but will drastically increase its social media screening in an effort to find any applicants who might be anti-American.
“Comprehensive and thorough vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants is now mandatory for US consular officers to identify those who “bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” according to the cable, which was sent to US missions on Wednesday and dated June 18.
The Trump administration directed its foreign missions to cease making new interviews for applicants for student and exchange visitor visas on May 27.
