Applying for US visa? Your social media could be screened
What's the story
The United States is reportedly expanding its social media vetting process for visa applicants, including foreign journalists. The move is part of President Donald Trump's immigration policies. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a report from The Daily Signal on X, stating that the State Department will now require more types of visa applicants to make their social media accounts public.
New requirement
Vetting process also applies to some nationals of Mexico, Canada
The Daily Signal report, which cited an internal memo, said foreign media representatives and some nationals of Mexico and Canada will now be subjected to this vetting process.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed the department's commitment to reviewing screening procedures globally.
They said "Online presence vetting is about applicants demonstrating their eligibility to receive a visa under US law and ensuring that no individual poses a risk to the safety and security of the United States."
Policy changes
Foreign students and journalists' duration of stay tightened
The Trump administration has also tightened rules on the duration of stay for foreign students and journalists.
Foreign students would be admitted for the length of their academic program, up to a maximum of four years, while foreign journalists are limited to stays of 240 days with possible extensions.
These measures are part of a broader effort by Trump's administration to consider online speech in immigration decisions, raising concerns among civil liberties advocates about freedom of speech implications.
Screening measures
Administration cancels visas of foreign students involved in activism
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced plans to screen social media posts of immigrants and visa applicants for "antisemitic content" and "anti-Americanism."
The administration has also canceled visas of foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism.
In October 2025, the State Department revoked visas of six foreign nationals over comments about a conservative activist's assassination, promising to continue identifying visa holders who celebrated such acts.