KUALA LUMPUR – The US Department of State has directed all its embassies and consulates globally to “immediately begin additional vetting” of anyone seeking a visa to travel to Harvard University for “any purpose.”
A diplomatic cable, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines that this “additional vetting” involves “a complete screening of the online presence” of applicants.
The directive applies to “prospective students, students, faculty, employees, contractors, guest speakers, and tourists,” among others.
The word “any” is underlined in bold in the cable, which states that the screening covers “any” nonimmigrant visa applicant for “any” purpose.
Consular officers are instructed to require otherwise eligible applicants to set their social media accounts to public, before referring them to the Fraud Prevention Unit.
The unit is tasked with conducting a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of each case, including social media activity and broader online presence, to identify potential inadmissibilities.
“The enhanced vetting measures described in this guidance aim at ensuring that consular officers can appropriately identify such visa applicants with histories of anti-Semitic harassment and violence, and to duly consider the visa eligibility under US immigration law,” the cable states.
The move, seen by local media as an escalation of the Trump administration’s ongoing feud with the Ivy League institution, affects more than just students. It is also intended as a pilot for broader implementation of social media screening for visa applicants in general.
Separately, the US government on Tuesday announced a suspension of new interview appointments for student visa applicants, stating it was considering requiring all foreign students applying to study in the country to undergo social media vetting. – May 31, 2025