The State Department issued on June 18 an announcement entitled “Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants” that indicates that consulates have been instructed to resume the processing of F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applications in the near future.  As we reported in our Alert of May 28, 2025, the agency had temporarily paused all F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa processing in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, and had indicated that the pause would remain in effect until further guidance was issued.

The resumption of F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa processing will take place under new guidance that requires consular officers to conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants.  To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be asked to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to “public”.  A State Department officer has commented to the press that officers adjudicating F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applications will be asked to identify “applicants who bear hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles; who advocate for, aid, or support designated terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security; or who perpetrate unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.”

All persons applying for F-1, M-1, and J-1 visas should therefore expect to have their social media presence carefully reviewed by a consulate.  All social media handles (usernames) of visa applicants must already be disclosed in the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application form.  Such applicants should be mindful that any commentary or reposting of commentary that could be interpreted as being hostile to the United States, the current presidential administration, or to the state of Israel or as supportive of a Palestinian state or sympathetic to any organizations militating for such a state, could result in a visa denial.  In addition, such applicants should also consider that social media accounts which are restricted as “private” or that have limited visibility may be considered by consulates to be reflective of “evasiveness” and may also lead to a visa denial.  Applicants for F-1, M-1, and J-1 visas should also take into account Secretary of State Rubio’s recent comment that an absence of social media may also be seen as a sign of such evasiveness.  A lack of any online presence on the part of a visa applicant may thus lead to the denial of a visa application.

The processing of F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applications under the new guidance is expected to begin within five business days of June 18 and appointments are currently being scheduled by consulates.