The US State Department is expanding mandatory social media screening for additional categories of foreign visa applicants under the Donald Trump administration, according to an internal memo, as reported by The Daily Signal.
The policy would require affected applicants to make their social media accounts "public" or "open" for review as part of the visa adjudication process.
More visa categories brought under screening
According to the memo, the expanded vetting will apply to foreign media representatives and qualified nationals from Canada and Mexico travelling to the United States for business under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), along with their dependents.
Social media vetting is already required for several visa categories, including diplomatic and official visas, temporary workers and trainees, exchange visitors, international cultural exchange participants, religious workers, and certain witnesses, informants and victims.
The policy builds on a measure announced by the State Department in June 2025 requiring student visa applicants with private social media accounts to make them publicly accessible for screening.
{{/usCountry}}The policy builds on a measure announced by the State Department in June 2025 requiring student visa applicants with private social media accounts to make them publicly accessible for screening.
{{/usCountry}}The memo states that applicants covered by the new requirement must ensure their social media accounts are set to "public" or "open."
"The Department relies on every available source of information during visa screening and vetting to identify applicants who may be inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to national security or public safety," the memo states, as reported by The Daily Signal.
It adds that "every visa adjudication is fundamentally a national security decision" and that receiving a US visa "remains a privilege granted at the government's discretion, not an entitlement."
Asked about the report, a State Department spokesperson told AFP that the department "is constantly reviewing and evaluating screening and vetting procedures worldwide to ensure that our visa process upholds the highest standards for US national security and public safety."
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"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," the spokesperson said.
Why it matters for Indian applicants
The expanded screening may draw attention in India, where demand for US visas remains high across multiple travel categories.
Although the latest policy applies to specific visa classes, it reflects the Trump administration's continued focus on stricter visa vetting.
According to the 2024 Open Doors Report, published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 331,602 Indian students were enrolled at US higher education institutions.
The expansion comes as the Trump administration continues to tighten immigration and visa screening policies.
Since returning to office, the administration has moved to increase scrutiny of visa applicants and undocumented immigrants. Last month, it finalized rules imposing stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the United States.
Under the new framework, foreign students would generally be admitted for the duration of their academic program, up to a maximum of four years, while foreign journalists would be limited to stays of 240 days, with the option to apply for extensions.