Rubio Says Lack of Social-Media Profile Could Prompt Visa Denial

May 30, 2025, 9:37 PM UTC

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday ordered more scrutiny of the social-media profiles of any foreigners seeking to visit Harvard University, telling US consular officers that applicants’ lack of an online presence might be enough evidence to deny a visa.

Rubio’s cable, sent to embassies worldwide, marked the latest salvo by the Trump administration against Harvard, the foreign students who go there and elite universities more broadly. Rubio said the procedure spelled out in the document would serve as a pilot for the future days after he halted interviews for student visas to consider ways to weed out applicants ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

Learn About Bloomberg Law

AI-powered legal analytics, workflow tools and premium legal & business news.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools.