On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the Department of State (State Department) issued its anticipated enhanced social media and online presence screening and vetting procedures for new and returning students (F, M, and J). Starting next week, “all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’” at the visa interview. If found otherwise eligible for the visa sought, the consular officer will issue the student an INA 221(g) decision while they gather more information and documentation before issuing a final determination.
Lack of a public online presence or refusal to make sites accessible will raise a red flag. If no derogatory information is found, the officer may make a decision on the visa application. However, according to the guidance, “[i]f potentially derogatory information is found, post should refuse the case under the appropriate refusal code; or, if needed, post should call the applicant back for a follow-up interview.”
The June 18 guidance directs consular officers to review visa applicants’ online presence for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States.” Consular officers will be reviewing more than just social media accounts with particular attention to applicants with a history of political activism. Although the online content found may not alone be sufficient to deny a student’s visa, consular officers will conduct additional vetting to determine if the applicant will respect U.S. laws and “engage only in activities consistent with” their status. While some travelers have taken to temporarily wiping their social media accounts, consular officers will be taking screenshots during their vetting process to preserve records of their findings.
Soon, consulates will resume scheduling student visa interviews; however, presumably due to the increased amount of time required by additional screening and vetting, fewer interview slots will be offered despite summer being peak season for visa applications for students beginning programs in the fall. According to the guidance, consular posts may resume processing of expedited appointment requests and are directed to prioritize physicians applying for J visas and applicants studying at a U.S. university where international students constitute 15 percent or less of the total student body.
As mentioned in our previous alert, consular officers will comprehensively screen every visa applicant “for potential security and non-security related ineligibilities.” Pursuant to Executive Orders 14161 and 14188, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” and “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” consular officers will be looking to identify “foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security,” as well as those who “perpetrate” unlawful anti-Semitic harassment or violence. In addition, they will be looking at whether F, M, or J visa applicants are likely to “steal technical information, exploit U.S. research and development, and spread false information for political or other reasons.”
If you have questions or concerns about how these new screening procedures could impact your student visa application or renewal, please schedule a consultation with one of our experienced immigration attorneys at Klasko Immigration Law Partners by requesting one here.
The material contained in this alert does not constitute direct legal advice and is for informational purposes only. An attorney-client relationship is not presumed or intended by receipt or review of this presentation. The information provided should never replace informed counsel when specific immigration-related guidance is needed.
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