On June 18, 2025, the US Department of State (“DOS”) issued a statement announcing it is resuming visa services for foreign students with an updated social media policy. We had previously covered the issues students faced and the announcement by DOS on May 27, 2025 that they would not be scheduling new appointments for student visas. Under the new guidelines, which are expected to be implemented within five business days all F‑1, M‑1, and J‑1 visa applicants are instructed to set their social media profiles to “public.” The purpose? Consular officers are now expected to review “applicants’ entire online presence”, not just social media bios.

In an official cable to US diplomats around the world, DOS was explicit in its guidance. Officers have been instructed to review applicants’ online social media accounts and presence, conducting comprehensive and thorough vetting to:

“Identify applicants who bear hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles;”
Or who “advocate for, aid, or support designated terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security”, or who “perpetrate unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence;”
Or who “perpetrate unlawful antisemitic harassment of violence;” and
To “consider whether they undermine the applicant’s credibility or suggest that the applicant will not respect the terms of his admission.”

Among the most chilling directive:

“During the vetting, you simply are looking for any potentially derogatory information about the applicant… You might discover on social media that an applicant endorsed Hamas or its activities.”

Furthermore, the cable emphasizes that “limited access to, or visibility of, online presence could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity.” The guidance, which applies to both new and returning applicants for student and exchange visas, calls for consular officers officials to review candidates’ entire online presence, not just their social media pages. This means they can use search engines, databases, and other online tools to look into their digital footprint.

Why This Matters—and Who Else May be Affected

While the cable specifically mentions student visas, we anticipate this approach could extend to B‑1/B‑2 visitor visas and potentially all nonimmigrant visa categories. The State Department’s heightened vigilance around political views, perceived hostility, and social media openness doesn’t stop at academic travel.

Foreign nationals applying for any US nonimmigrant visa, should prepare for social media transparency. Applicants with locked accounts, past public posts, or activity deemed “derogatory” may trigger closer scrutiny or even denial.

What Applicants Should Do Next

This new directive from the DOS doesn’t just change the rules, it reshapes the visa process into something far more personal. Applicants are now expected to present a transparent digital identity, one that aligns with the information they provide in their visa applications and reflects a demeanor consistent with US values and policies. That shift may feel invasive, but it is now central to how applications are assessed.

For those preparing for a visa interview, this means it’s no longer enough to organize documents and transcripts. The digital self—the version of you that lives online—must now be reviewed just as carefully. Profiles that are locked or sparse may raise flags, not because they conceal wrongdoing, but because they suggest an unwillingness to be forthcoming. In contrast, a thoughtful and open online presence may signal credibility.

Applicants should take time to review their social media with fresh eyes. Look through the lens of someone who doesn’t know you but is required to make a judgment about your values and plans. It may mean untagging a photo, archiving a post, or thinking twice about whether an old joke still belongs in public view. That does not mean you must erase your personality or silence your opinions. But it does mean being intentional about the way your digital presence might be read. In this new era of digital vetting, the goal isn’t perfection- it’s clarity, consistency, and transparency.