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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Embassy: Students to US should keep social media public for visa duration
With the new academic season in the US starting next month, all international students applying to study in the country will need to keep their social media profiles public not only while applying for a visa but also during its validity period — in effect, during their entire study course. 'All student and exchange visitor visa applicants (F, M and J visa classes) are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of personal social media profiles to 'public' in order to facilitate vetting necessary to establish the applicant's admissibility to the United States,' said a spokesperson from the US Embassy in New Delhi in response to a query from The Indian Express. 'Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States,' the spokesperson said. Last month, the Embassy had cited 'public safety and national security' in the visa process while mandating those applying to study in the US to make their social media profiles public. The F category visa in the US refers to the F-1 student visa, meant for international students who wish to pursue academic studies at a US institution, while the M visa (M-1) is a non-immigrant visa for individuals pursuing vocational or other nonacademic studies. The J-1 enables foreign nationals to come to the US to teach, study, conduct research, or receive on the job training for periods ranging from a few weeks to several years. In 2023-24, Indian students formed the largest cohort of international students in the US, with 3.31 lakh enrolments. In the Financial Year 2024, the US issued 4,00,737 F-1, 6,322 M-1 and 3,22,820 J-1 visas, according to State Department data. In May, the Donald Trump administration had asked US embassies around the world to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as it expanded scrutiny of applicants' social media posts following widespread protests on campuses against Israel's bombing in Gaza. At the time, The Indian Express had reported that the decision had led to anxiety among Indian students preparing to begin their studies in the US and those already enrolled in American universities. Several of these students had said they were reviewing their digital footprints to secure their academic future. On June 18, the State Department announced the resumption of student visa interviews. 'Our overseas posts will resume scheduling F, M and J non-immigrant visa applications soon. Applicants should check the relevant embassy or consulate website for appointment availability,' it had said. Asserting that 'US visa is a privilege, not a right', it had said: 'We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the US, including those who pose a threat to US national security. Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M and J non-immigrant classifications.' According to the Embassy, the rule is mandated for all countries and, since 2019, the US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
Cedar News
4 days ago
- Business
- Cedar News
U.S. Introduces New 'Visa Integrity Fee' for All Foreign Visitors Starting 2025
A new law passed under the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will require all foreign visitors to the United States who need nonimmigrant visas to pay a 'U.S. visa integrity fee' starting in fiscal year 2025. The new charge will be a minimum of $250 and cannot be waived, according to the legislation. The fee, which is in addition to existing visa costs, is aimed at promoting compliance with U.S. immigration rules. However, travelers may be eligible for reimbursement under certain conditions. Who Must Pay the U.S. Visa Integrity Fee? The fee applies to all nonimmigrant visa categories, including: Tourists (B-1/B-2) Business travelers International students (F-1, M-1, etc.) The visa integrity fee will be paid only if a visa is approved. If a visa application is denied, the fee will not be charged. Does the Fee Replace Other Visa Costs? No. The new fee is in addition to existing visa application fees, such as the $205 for an H-1B application. It also adds to the Form I-94 fee, which was recently raised from $6 to $24. Travelers should prepare to pay significantly more when applying for U.S. visas after the new rule takes effect. Is the Fee Refundable? Technically, yes — but only if visa holders comply with all conditions: Do not accept unauthorized employment Do not overstay the visa by more than 5 days Reimbursement will occur after the visa expires, but no system has been announced yet to manage this process. Legal experts are advising travelers to treat the fee as nonrefundable, given the uncertainty. When Will the Fee Be Implemented? No specific date has been set. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that inter-agency coordination is required before launching the new fee. It's unclear how or where the DHS will collect it, since the State Department handles the visa issuance process. Impact on International Travel Immigration experts warn that the U.S. visa integrity fee could deter tourists and students due to higher travel costs. It also comes as the U.S. prepares to host major events in 2026 — including its 250th independence anniversary and part of the FIFA World Cup. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the policy will generate $28.9 billion in revenue and help reduce visa overstays — a long-standing issue in U.S. immigration enforcement.
India Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
US plans time limit on student visas; likely to hit plans of Indians
The Donald Trump administration is mulling a contentious bill, initially proposed during the President's first term, aiming to replace the current flexible student visa system with a fixed period of stay. The move is yet another strong measure to deter immigration, and is expected to hit students from India on F-1 and J-1 change, proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would affect overseas students, exchange visitors, and representatives of foreign international students holding F-1 visas and exchange visitors on J-1 visas are granted "duration of status", allowing them to remain in the US as long as they maintain full-time enrolment or participation in their designated programme. Notably, exchange visitors include students, professors, scholars, specialists, trainees, teachers, interns, au pairs, and physicians, among proposed rule has reportedly been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Following this, the rule will be published in the Federal Register. Typically, a 30-or 60-day public comment period follows before finalisation, which may take months. However, the rule could reportedly be issued as an interim final rule also, taking effect immediately without public current regulations, F-1 and J-1 visa holders are not assigned a specific departure date upon admission, allowing them to stay in the US as long as they remain engaged in the activities for which their visa was issued, such as full-time study or program details of the proposal are proposal was reportedly opposed by higher education groups, who said it would cause needless disruption to academic programs, reported over 3.3 lakh students, Indians were the largest cohort of international students in the US, and the proposal may adversely affect the US Embassy in India had also issued a warning to foreigners on May 14 about the serious consequences of staying in the United States beyond the allowed time on their embassy had posted on X, saying, "If you remain in the United States beyond your authorised period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on travelling to the United States in the future."The warning in May followed President Donald Trump's recent crackdown on immigrant students, which began in students have been forced to leave the country after their F-1, J-1, or M-1 visa status was abruptly revoked and their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records cancelled — often due to minor past April, through a series of executive actions, Trump had directed increased scrutiny of US colleges and their accrediting agencies. These orders target what Trump perceives as unchecked liberal influence and an excessive focus on diversity and equity in educational Trump has also sought to address anti-semitism on campuses, accusing his predecessor, Joe Biden, of failing to hold universities accountable.- EndsMust Watch
Mint
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Visa applicants, beware! US Embassy in India issues new warning - 'Omitting social media information could lead to...'
The United States (US) Embassy in New Delhi Thursday directed all visa applicants to stipulate details of all their social media handles from the past five years for background checks -- failure to comply could lead to visa rejection, the embassy said. This comes close on the heels of the United States' decision to require all student visa applicants to make their social media accounts public for vetting purposes. "Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used in the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit," the embassy said in a statement on X. "Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas," it added. Citing "national security and public safety," the US had on Monday stated that all applicants for student visas must make their social media accounts public. 'Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to 'public' to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law,' the US Embassy in New Delhi had said on Monday. The F-1 visa is issued to students pursuing academic studies, while the M-1 visa is for those enrolled in vocational or other non-academic programs. The J-1 visa, on the other hand, is granted to individuals participating in teaching, studying, research, or on-the-job training programs, typically lasting from a few weeks to several years. Last month, the Trump administration directed all US consulates around the world to stop conducting new interviews and accepting applications for student and exchange visitor visas. At the same time, US officials accused the Biden administration of allowing poorly vetted migrants into the country and claimed the system was full of fraud. In response, they announced stricter checks, including reviewing the social media activity of people applying to move to the US. Now, US consular officers will carefully check applicants' online activity. They will look for anything considered concerning — such as posts showing hostility toward American citizens, values, culture, institutions, or the country's founding principles. This change comes as the US Department of State begins requiring social media checks before granting visas.
NBC News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Judge again blocks Trump administration from halting Harvard's enrolling international students
A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday again blocked the government's attempt to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll international students. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued the preliminary injunction, after granting a temporary restraining order against the administration. In her decision, Burroughs directed the Trump administration to 'immediately' prepare guidance to alert officials to disregard original notice and to restore 'every visa holder and applicant to the position that individual would have been absent such Revocation Notice.' She asked for that to be done in next 72 hours. Because of this injunction, the Trump administration is also blocked from altering or terminating Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification. The Trump administration is likely to appeal this ruling to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision comes after the Trump administration in May attempted to terminate Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows the school to enroll international students on the F-1 and M-1 student visas. The school sued the government the next day, and was granted a temporary restraining order by Burroughs shortly afterward. In a separate proclamation released earlier this month, Donald Trump said he would deny visas to foreign students who were looking to come to the U.S. with the purpose of attending the Ivy League university. The school hit back, amending its May lawsuit and asking the court to halt the proclamation's enforcement, which Burroughs swiftly granted. During a hearing on the injunction, Ian Heath Gershenger, an attorney for the university, accused the administration of 'using international students as pawns,' and singling out Harvard. Department of Justice attorneys focused on the administration's national security concerns, saying they did not trust Harvard to vet thousands of international students. An attorney for the Trump administration previously said that it does not have the same concerns in regards to other schools, but that could change. For months, the government has been entrenched in a tug-of-war with the Ivy League university. In April, the administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that they would be cutting more than $2 billion in grants after the school rejected its demands, which included restricting the acceptance of international students who are 'hostile to the American values and institutions.' Harvard quickly sued the administration and accused it of seeking 'unprecedented and improper' control of the school. As tensions escalated, the administration weeks later further asked all federal agencies to end their contracts with Harvard — an amount totaling $100 million. The administration's targeting of the prestigious university has drawn backlash from critics and free speech advocates, and support for the school from fellow institutions. Earlier this month, two dozen universities filed an amicus brief in support of the school, arguing that the funding freeze would impact more than just Harvard, due to the interconnectedness of scientific research, and would ultimately hinder American innovation and economic growth. And a group of 12,041 Harvard alumni, including prominent names like Conan O'Brien and author Margaret E. Atwood, filed a separate brief describing the withholding of funds as a 'reckless and unlawful' attempt to assert control over the school and other higher education institutions.
