The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines has requested all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant student visas to make their social media accounts public as part of its vetting process. This comes after Massachusetts District Judge Allison Burroughs issued an injunction on Monday, June 23, blocking the Trump administration’s plans to restrict Harvard University from admitting international students.
“Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms,” the U.S. Embassy said in its announcement. “We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.”
Student visas F and M are for academic and vocational studies, while visa J is for participation in an approved exchange program for work or study.
Foreign Grads Struggle for Work
On June 4, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation restricting foreign student visas at Harvard, citing alleged connections to China. The proclamation claimed that the university is linked to research that “could advance China’s military modernization” and is also a “top party school” for members of the Chinese Communist Party. As such, the Trump administration deemed Harvard’s admission of international students “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”
If made effective, the proclamation will bar the university from taking in new international students for at least the coming academic year. The proclamation does not stop current international students from pursuing their studies and did not bar graduating students from finishing this year, but the future remains uncertain even for them, according to Eric, a Filipino student who recently graduated from a master’s program at Harvard. Eric has asked to use an alias for this interview.
“I faced little friction between the visa application process and entering the country for the first time,” he told Rolling Stone Philippines. “However, one of the issues I think is worth noting is that international students are under a lot of pressure to retain their status after graduation to look for a job.”
International students are given 90 “unemployment days” to secure employment after declaring the start date on their optional practical training (OPT) documents. “Some employers are not aware of what OPT is or prefer less trouble by not employing an international employee at all,” said Eric. “These problems have always been present regardless of whoever is leading the administration, but what I can say is that it has been way more stressful now that our status as international students is in question, on top of an already difficult job market.”
Amid the uncertainty, Eric’s family in the Philippines also regularly checks up on him, but he may not be able to see them for a while. “I was supposed to fly back to Manila to visit family and friends before starting my new job,” he said. “But with the recent proclamation, I refunded my flight back home to stay in the U.S. because of the uncertainty [of] whether I could re-enter the country.
“Even though I have already graduated from the university, my visa is still sponsored by Harvard, which means that while I am working, my visa and status could be terminated at any moment,” he added.
For students and fresh graduates like Eric, keeping in touch with other Filipinos and international students has been a source of comfort amid their precarious situation. “Both the Harvard International Office and Harvard Filipino affiliated members have extended their support by regularly providing updates and opening their ears to any concerns students might have regarding travel and status,” he said.
Asked if he thinks Harvard values its international students, Eric said, “I still believe our work is valued by Harvard and many other universities generally. I can confidently say that the university is trying its best to retain its international scholars because it wouldn’t be the same without them.”
Harvard President Alan Garber shared similar sentiments earlier in a statement responding to Trump’s proclamation. “International students and scholars make outstanding contributions inside and outside of our classrooms and laboratories, fulfilling our mission of excellence in countless ways,” Garber said. “We will celebrate them, support them, and defend their interests as we continue to assert our Constitutional rights.”
According to The Guardian, the recent academic year saw almost 6,800 international students attend the university, making up about 27 percent of its student population. The exact number of Filipino students is unknown.
