Visas to the USA for pupils and students. American authorities demand access to social accounts

On the embassy account USA In Warsaw, an entry appeared in social media in reference to the American Department of Changes recently announced for students from outside the country.

Let us remind you that in May the president's administration Donald Trump She suspended the issuing of student visas to “exacerbate funds to limit the entry of applicants considered hostile to the USA.” Last week it was announced that the process would be restored, but under certain conditions. This is what the Embassy's entry in Poland in social media refers.

“With immediate effect, all persons applying for a non -immigration visa in order to study in the United States – both as part of the Academic Studies Program (visa F) and a non -academic course of education (visa M), as well as people applying for a non -immigration visa in connection with participating in the US government approved by the US government of the Academic, Scientific or Cultural Exchange (visa J) – They should change the privacy settings of their social media accounts to public. This is to facilitate the verification procedures necessary to confirm the identity and assess the admissibility of entering the United States in accordance with the provisions of the US law. ”

Further in the entry indicates that “from 2019 the United States requires from applicants for a visa – both immigration and non -immigration – providing information in visa forms that will allow you to identify them in social media. In particular, it is necessary to indicate in the DS-160 form user names (so-called handles) from all social platforms used in the last five years“.

After the announcement of changes in the media, both traditional and social, began to be reminded of the situation of a French scientist who was withdrawn at the border in March because he criticized Trump, and in his phone the “hateful and conspiracy message was found, which can be considered terrorism.”

Even the former president of Costa Rica met a similar case. Óscar Arias, Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced in April that his American visa was withdrawn without giving a reason. The interested person himself indicated that although he was not given reasons, it coincided with his critical comments about the invasion Russia on UkraineUS trade wars with China and actions Israel in the Gaza Strip. For example, the duties announced by Trump called “meaningless”.

As indicated last week, the BBC described a change in the provisions of the State Department also received the order to check whether there are people about the visa, “they support, help or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to national security. Or which commit unlawful harassment or anti -Semitic violence.”

At that time, the department said that people who maintain the privacy of their social media accounts may be considered people trying to hide their activity.

This decision is part of the broader activities of the Trump administration directed against the most elite universities in America. Earlier, the president condemned them as too leftist and accused them that they failed to fight anti -Semitism, when protests were held at their camps.

Read also: “In unprecedented amok”. They criticize Donald Trump

Trump's repression also included the freezing of hundreds of millions of dollars in financing universities, as well as the deportation of students or withdrawal of visas. Many of these activities were blocked by US courts.

Among the institutions covered by the president's control was the Harvard University, who was frozen by federal subsidies in the amount of $ 2.65 billion. Trump also tried to deprive Harvard of accepting foreign students, but this decision was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, as the case is considered by the court.

According to Open Doors, an organization gathering data on foreign students, in the academic year 2023/2024 at American universities 1.1 million foreign students from over 210 countries.

AP News recently noticed that Trump's current activities are in contradiction with one of the ego campaign promises.

He said then that if he was elected, he would grant green cards to all foreign students who graduate from American universities.

“It's so sad when we lose people from Harvard, myth, from the best schools,” Trump said during an interview in June last year. “It will end on the first day,” he added.

AP News notes that this promise has of course never come true. Trump's position regarding the reception of foreign students changed drastically. Foreign students found themselves in the center of a growing campaign aimed at throwing them away or preventing them from arriving. It was indicated that the current US administration combines repression against immigration with efforts to transform higher education.