Latest news with #USimmigration
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US resumes visas for foreign students but demands access to social media accounts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department said Wednesday it is restarting the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review. The department said consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that could be deemed hostile to the United States, its government, culture, institutions or founding principles. In a notice made public Wednesday, the department said it had rescinded its May suspension of student visa processing but said new applicants who refuse to set their social media accounts to 'public' and allow them to be reviewed may be rejected. It said a refusal to do so could be a sign they are trying to evade the requirement or hide their online activity. The Trump administration last month temporarily halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while preparing to expand the screening of their activity on social media, officials said. Students around the world have been waiting anxiously for U.S. consulates to reopen appointments for visa interviews, as the window left to book their travel and make housing arrangements narrows ahead of the start of the school year. On Wednesday afternoon, a 27-year-old Ph.D. student in Toronto was able to secure an appointment for a visa interview next week. The student, a Chinese national, hopes to travel to the U.S. for a research internship that would start in late July. 'I'm really relieved,' said the student, who spoke on condition of being identified only by his surname, Chen, because he was concerned about being targeted. 'I've been refreshing the website couple of times every day.' Students from China, India, Mexico and the Philippines have posted on social media sites that they have been monitoring visa booking websites and closely watching press briefings of the State Department to get any indication of when appointment scheduling might resume. In reopening the visa process, the State Department also told consulates to prioritize students hoping to enroll at colleges where foreigners make up less than 15% of the student body, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail information that has not been made public. Foreign students make up more than 15% of the total student body at almost 200 U.S. universities, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal education data from 2023. Most are private universities, including all eight Ivy League schools. But that criteria also includes 26 public universities, including the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State University. Looking only at undergraduate students, foreign students make up more than 15% of the population at about 100 universities, almost all of them private. International students in the U.S. have been facing increased scrutiny on several fronts. In the spring, the Trump administration revoked permission to study in the U.S. for thousands of students, including some involved only in traffic offenses, before abruptly reversing course. The government also expanded the grounds on which foreign students can have their legal status terminated. As part of a pressure campaign targeting Harvard University, the Trump administration has moved to block foreign students from attending the Ivy League school, which counts on international students for tuition dollars and a quarter of its enrollment. Trump has said Harvard should cap its foreign enrollment at 15%. This latest move to vet students' social media, the State Department said Wednesday, "will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country.' In internal guidance sent to consular officers, the department said they should be looking for 'any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.' Jameel Jaffer, executive director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the new policy evokes the ideological vetting of the Cold War, when prominent artists and intellectuals were excluded from the U.S. 'This policy makes a censor of every consular officer, and it will inevitably chill legitimate political speech both inside and outside the United States," Jaffer said. The Trump administration also has called for 36 countries to commit to improving vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. A weekend diplomatic cable sent by the State Department says the countries have 60 days to address U.S. concerns or risk being added to a travel ban that now includes 12 nations. ___ AP Education Writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report. Matthew Lee And Albee Zhang, The Associated Press
Times of Oman
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
US travel ban adds to uncertainty for thousands of Afghan immigrants
Kabul: Thousands of Afghans holding P1 and P2 US immigration cases remain in complete uncertainty as they await a response from the US government, following the White House's recent announcement of a travel ban, TOLOnews reported. Many of these individuals had been stranded in third countries like Pakistan for over three years, relying on US promises for their cases to be processed. Some caseholders told TOLOnews that the new travel restrictions were causing significant concern. Mohammad Javid Kohsari, a US immigration caseholder, said, "We hope the travel ban does not include immigrants or P1 and P2 case holders because about three years ago, we came to third countries based on US promises. Immigrants in Pakistan are grappling with numerous problems," TOLOnews reported. Another holder of a US immigration case, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "We and other Afghans in Pakistan and other third countries who are awaiting the processing of our cases have completed most legal steps, including embassy interviews and health checks," TOLOnews added. US President Donald Trump announced the travel ban targeting Afghan citizens along with nationals from eleven other countries, stating that these countries did not have their domestic situations under control. He said the goal was to keep "bad people" out of the US. The United Nations emphasized that while every country has the right to manage its borders, any system put in place must respect human dignity. UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, "Our position globally has been that any system established in this regard must preserve human dignity." Meanwhile, the US State Department clarified that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans was a temporary measure that could end at any time. Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson for the Department of State, said, "The temporary protected status is only one dynamic when it comes to many different ways that people from Afghanistan have come to this country." The main concern remained about P1 and P2 cases--programs designed for vulnerable individuals such as civil activists and employees of international organizations. According to the head of AfghanEvac, these programs were currently suspended but, unlike the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, were exempt from the travel ban.
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- RNZ News
MFAT updates US travel advice for New Zealanders
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has updated its travel advice for New Zealanders travelling to the United States for the first time since Donald Trump became president, saying they could be detained, deported or banned from re-entering the country if they don't meet strict requirements. In a statement released to Nine to Noon, MFAT says 17 New Zealand passport holders have sought assistance in the three months since November 2024 because they have experienced immigration difficulties in the US. MFAT says it was a routine review of the US travel advisory which was last fully reviewed in 2023. While the travel advice level for kiwis travelling to the US remains at Level 2, 'Exercise increased caution' - the advisory now includes more cautionary wording about the potential for detention at the border. It also cautions travellers about laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices potentially being subject to border security inspection. Otago and Auckland Universities have already alerted academic staff to the issues they may face if travelling to the US. Otago University Professor of international relations Robert Patman says he would not travel to the US at present, and he thinks the MFAT travel advice is cautionary for anyone who may have criticised the Trump administration in any way. A United Airlines plane takes off as another taxis at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) following the Thanksgiving holiday on 2 December, 2024. Photo: AFP/ Getty - Mario Tama
