On October 14, 2025, the US Department of State (“DOS”) reported they had revoked the visas of six foreign nationals who had made seemingly mocking or celebratory comments via social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking at a university event in Utah. Citizens from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and South Africa were among those affected. Posting on X, the DOS thread included the social media posts or comments in question, with the users’ handles or names redacted and identified only by their country of origin, followed by “Visa revoked.”
Read moreStudent‑visa Applicants Now Required to Unlock Social Media and This Could Expand to All Nonimmigrant Visas
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.
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