US wants to scrutinize online activities of visa applicants more closely

According to AFP, the expansion of screening is to affect several visa categories, including the student visa, which has been in high demand in recent years. This could mean that applicants for studies in the US will in future be more intensively examined for their online history before receiving a visa.

Student visas in focus

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the government was working on a set of measures to make the process "stricter and more transparent." No verbatim statement from Leavitt is available, but AFP quoted her as saying there would be "no compromises on national security."

The planned tightening is part of a series of migration and security measures that the Trump administration has put in place since taking office. These include, among other things, tightened entry controls and a stronger focus on enforcing existing visa conditions. Observers see this as an attempt to further politicize the issue of immigration.

Open questions on implementation

According to AFP, it is still unclear when the new screening standards are to take effect. It also remained initially unclear which agency would coordinate the screening and exactly which data sources would be drawn upon. The responsible ministry declined to comment on specific details of the plans when asked.

The legal basis and scope of the measure will be a central issue in Washington in the coming weeks. Civil rights organizations, universities, and business associations have already announced that they will closely monitor the development. At the center is the question of how security interests and the protection of personal data should be balanced against each other.

Consequences for applicants and universities

For the many applicants from around the world, the possible tightening means an additional hurdle. Anyone applying for a US visa would in future have to expect that posts on social media, group memberships, and other digital activities would be included in the review. Visas already issued could also be reviewed if online activities later attract attention.

Universities in the US are concerned about possible effects on international student mobility. Several universities are already recording a decline in foreign applications. According to education experts, an expansion of online surveillance could reinforce this trend.

The US government justifies the step with reference to national security and the need to detect misuse of the visa system at an early stage. Independent observers stress at the same time that transparent criteria and rule-of-law oversight are crucial in order to avoid erroneous decisions and discrimination. The debate over the appropriate scope of the measure is therefore likely to continue.