Social Media Vetting for Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Applicants
The Department of State has issued formal guidance regarding the enhanced social media screening protocols for individuals applying for visas as international students (F and M visas) and exchange visitors (J visas). As part of this new policy, visa applicants are now required to switch the privacy settings on all social media accounts to “public.”
In addition to the formal announcement, media outlets obtained an internal agency cable stating that social media accounts set to “private” may be treated as a failure to provide required information. Visa officers could interpret this as an attempt to evade scrutiny and may negatively impact the visa applicant’s credibility.
The enhanced vetting measures will apply not only to new applicants, but also to returning applicants and those with pending applications, including:
Applicants who have not yet been interviewed,
Applicants whose interviews have been waived, and
Applicants who have already been interviewed and are awaiting a decision.
The cable notes that these changes will go into effect on June 26, 2025. Consular staff are instructed to review applicants’ entire online presence for signs of antisemitism, political activism, hostility toward American values, or ties to terrorist organizations.
While the Department of State’s announcement did not specify when the scheduling of visa interviews would resume, it directed applicants to consult the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates for the latest scheduling information. According to reporting by The Washington Post, some embassies and consulates have already resumed scheduling interviews.
This guidance is the Department’s first official announcement on the enhanced social media vetting protocols after an internal agency cable from May 27, 2025 was leaked, directing Consulates to suspend visa interviews for international students (F and M visas) and exchange visitors (J visas) pending the release of enhanced social media vetting protocols.
We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and provide updates as they become available.
The alert is for informational purposes only. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this development further