U.S. Pauses Student Visa Interviews to Expand Social Media Vetting

(UNITED STATES) The United States 🇺🇸 paused new student visa interviews worldwide on May 27, 2025, as the Department of State expanded social media vetting for all F, M, and J visa applicants. Embassies and consulates resumed scheduling after June 19, 2025, but implemented stricter screening that requires more disclosure and more time. Students and universities report longer waits, more refusals under INA 221(g) for extra checks, and a tougher path to reach U.S. campuses for fall and spring terms.

Officials ordered the halt to allow consular posts to roll out new tools and guidance for “expanded social media vetting,” according to internal instructions issued by the Department of State. The directive, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, made social media a central part of security reviews for education-related visas. The policy affects F-1 students, M-1 vocational students, and J-1 exchange visitors, including scholars and short-term trainees.

Under the new rules, student visa interviews continue, but applicants face added steps. Every applicant must now list all social media platforms and usernames used within the past five years on the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application. In a sharp change from prior practice, applicants are also told to set all accounts to “public” for the full visa process. Consular officers are instructed to review posts, tagged content, connections, and activity. Any gaps, mismatches, or content that appears to endorse violence or suggest past visa violations can lead to refusal.

Policy changes overview

The central changes took effect in two phases:

1. A global halt to new appointments on May 27, 2025.
2. Reopening of appointment calendars around June 18–19, 2025, after staff received training and systems updates.

Since then, missions have followed the new standard across regions, with the Department of State confirming that the rules apply to both F/M and J categories.

Key points of the social media vetting system include:

• Mandatory disclosure: Applicants must list all platforms and usernames from the last five years on the DS-160, including old or inactive accounts. Leaving out a platform or handle can be treated as a material omission.
• Public account setting: Accounts must be set to “public” while the application is pending. Failure to make accounts public can result in a refusal or an INA 221(g) request for more review.
• Broader review scope: Officers may compare online content to the visa application, I-20 or DS-2019, and school records. They can flag posts tagged by others, groups joined, and patterns of online behavior that raise security or fraud concerns.

Before 2025, most visa applicants already had to list social media handles, a policy started in 2019. But privacy settings were not regulated, and officers were not required to check tagged content or connections to the same degree. The 2025 shift marks a clear escalation that raises more privacy questions and gives officers wider discretion.

Impact on applicants and schools

The pause and new checks have concrete effects on plans and timelines.

• Students with interviews booked before May 27 generally kept those slots and moved forward under old scheduling.
• Those needing new appointments after the pause faced a race against program start dates.
• Many who secured late-June or July interviews encountered extra administrative processing under INA 221(g), adding weeks to their wait.

Consular posts also introduced a two-tier expedited appointment system:

• Priority is often given to students headed to universities with low international enrollment (15% or less).
• This helps smaller schools but can disadvantage students bound for campuses with larger international populations, who now have fewer options to request speed-ups.

On campus, international offices report:

• An uptick in late arrivals and deferrals to spring.
• Urgent housing and class-registration issues when visas arrive close to or after term start.
• Concerns that longer processing and uncertainty could push students toward Canada 🇨🇦, the U.K., or Australia.

Civil liberties groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warn that the public-account mandate chills speech. They say students may self-censor, delete content, or avoid online discussions that could be misread by reviewers. Privacy advocates also question how tagged posts — content created by others — can fairly be weighed against an applicant. The Department of State says the goal is to protect U.S. security while keeping doors open for bona fide students and scholars.

Applicants from Canada, who do not need a visa interview to enter in F-1 or J-1 status, are largely unaffected. Their key challenge remains getting proper documents—I-20 or DS-2019—and evidence of funds for inspection at the border. For most others, however, the new screening remains a central hurdle in 2025.

Practical steps for applicants

To prepare under the new rules, students should:

1. Complete the DS-160 carefully. List every platform and username used in the last five years. Double-check spelling and include inactive accounts.
2. Switch all accounts to public before the interview and keep them public until a final decision.
3. If appointment slots are past your start date, request expedited processing with proof of your I-20 or DS-2019 and a letter from your school.
4. Bring printouts or screenshots if you recently changed usernames; officers may ask about timing or variations.
5. If you receive an INA 221(g) notice, respond quickly and keep your school informed so they can advise on late-arrival policies.

VisaVerge.com reports that INA 221(g) holds rose sharply over the summer, with many cases resolved only after several weeks of extra checks. Their analysis highlights that posts flagged for translation, content review, or third-party verification can extend the timeline even when the application is otherwise complete.

The Department of State has told applicants to watch local embassy pages for appointment updates and to read instructions carefully before interviews. Official guidance notes that any mismatch between social media profiles and application answers—such as different dates of attendance, jobs, or travel—can slow a case or cause a refusal. Officers will also look for signs of possible work intent in F-1 cases, especially when a profile stresses employment over study.

Interview conduct and campus response

In interviews since June 19, officers continue to focus on the basics—program fit, funding, and ties—while adding targeted questions about online activity. Students report being asked to confirm usernames, explain posts, or clarify groups they follow. Some say officers asked whether relatives or friends manage any of their accounts, which matters if third parties post content under the applicant’s name.

Rollout effects vary by post:

• Busy posts with large student flows face heavier backlogs, especially in peak months.
• Posts with earlier appointment calendars are catching up faster.
• The Department of State has not released public statistics on processing times, but acknowledges longer reviews and more INA 221(g) placements since June.

Universities are adapting by:

• Urging students to keep profiles accurate and avoid last-minute deletions that can raise questions.
• Coaching students to explain posts in context (satire, campus debate, activism) if asked.
• Bringing program details to interviews to show a clear study plan and ties to the home country.
• Offering deferral options and remote starts to retain admits affected by delays.

Across higher education, administrators stress that international students support research, advanced classes, and local economies. They worry longer waits and public-account mandates may steer talent elsewhere. Some lawmakers and security analysts counter that the policy is a necessary security step.

Legal and policy outlook

Legal challenges are possible. Privacy groups argue the public-account requirement could exceed statutory authority or infringe on free expression by pressuring applicants to change settings. The Department of State may release more guidance as embassies gain experience and advocacy pressure grows.

For now, applicants must plan for delays and treat their online presence as part of the case file.

Official resources

Applicants should rely on official sources for updates and instructions:

• The Bureau of Consular Affairs maintains student visa information on https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html.
• Use the online DS-160 at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/ds-160-online-nonimmigrant-visa-application.html for the application and instructions.

Key takeaways

The pause is over, but the new normal for student visa interviews is clear: more disclosure, more review, and more time.

• Students can still reach U.S. campuses, but success now depends on careful preparation on paper and online, close contact with international offices, and patience as the Department of State refines a policy that links social media vetting to national security goals.
• Families: start early, complete forms precisely, prepare to discuss study plans, and keep online presence consistent with applications.
• Universities: build extra time into offer timelines and issue I-20/DS-2019 documents promptly to improve chances of on-time arrival.