The U.S. Department of State has significantly expanded the screening process for student visa applicants and is verifying social networking services (SNS) to exclude applicants who appear to advocate for terrorism.
The British daily Guardian reported on the 28th (local time) that the U.S. Department of State sent a diplomatic cable containing this information to all its consulates on the 25th.
According to the report, the Department of State broadly defines the meaning of 'terror advocacy' in the cable and explains it as a new basis for visa denial.
The new guidelines state that if there is evidence showing that an applicant advocates for terrorist activities or demonstrates a certain level of public support or advocacy for terrorist activities or organizations, this could be grounds for visa denial.
These guidelines specifically target new and renewal applications for F, M, and J student visas, instructing consular staff to mandatorily review the online activities of visa applicants using SNS.
Accordingly, consular staff must review the SNS of all visa applicants to investigate evidence of activities defined by the U.S. government as threats to national security or terrorism.
If suspicious elements are detected, the visa screening department will take screenshots of 'potentially negative' SNS content to create a permanent digital record, which could be used for entry denial.
The responsible staff must preserve the screenshots 'within the scope related to visa ineligibility' and upload them to the applicant’s case record, even if the postings are changed or deleted later.
The memo indicated that as of October 7, 2023, the screening process will be expanded to include students residing in the U.S. who will need visa renewals in the future. October 7, 2023, is the day that the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.
The revised visa screening process refers to an executive order by President Donald Trump regarding foreign terrorists and combating anti-Semitism. It also stated that 'all visa decisions are national security decisions.'
Concerns have arisen that these guidelines could lead to extensive visa reviews for students who post support for Palestine on SNS, express critical opinions about U.S. foreign policy, or indicate participation in campus protests.
The cable specifically states that visa denial does not necessarily have to be based on explicit support for a specific organization. It has also allowed for investigations into the relationship between visa applicants and those organizations beyond traditional security screenings, including current membership and financial contributions.
The U.S. government has already been canceling the visas of foreign students who expressed support for Hamas for several weeks.
U.S. Department of State Minister Marco Rubio has noted that more than 300 visas have been canceled for foreigners related to anti-Israel activities.