U.S. Resumes Student Visa Appointments with New Social Media Vetting Policy
As of June 18, 2025, the U.S. State Department has resumed student and exchange visitor visa appointments—but with a new policy in place involving sweeping digital scrutiny.
A leaked cable reviewed by Reuters instructs consular officers to scan each applicant’s online presence for any signs of “hostility” toward the U.S.—including its citizens, government, and values—as well as ties to antisemitism, political activism, or support for groups like Hamas.
The directive goes beyond social media. Officers were told to search databases like LexisNexis and take screenshots to preserve evidence for further review. Private accounts may be treated as suspicious.
These new protocols apply to both first-time and returning applicants and are part of a broader crackdown under the Trump administration. “Applicants who don’t make their profiles public could be seen as hiding something,” a senior State Department official told BBC.
What Students Should Know About the New Vetting Rules
The resumption of student visa appointments marks a shift, not just in access, but in how applicants are judged. While the State Department hasn’t released a formal checklist for student applicants, the standards for online behavior are now much more expansive.
“This is a substantial shift in how digital footprints are evaluated,” said Henry Lindepere, Senior Counsel at Manifest Law. “Applicants should assume that everything they’ve posted online could be scrutinized, whether or not it’s on social media. That includes blogs, online comments, old accounts, or even information surfaced by third-party search tools like LexisNexis and CLEAR. It’s crucial to review your public presence, but avoid panic-editing or deleting, which can raise red flags.”
Manifest Law recommends that students ensure consistency between their visa application and online presence—particularly education history, employment, and affiliations—and avoid posting content that could be misconstrued as supporting violence or foreign political movements.
May 27, 2025: A Sudden and Sweeping Pause on Student Visa Appointments
On May 27, 2025, a leaked diplomatic cable obtained by POLITICO and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio of the State Department instructed consulates and embassies not to add any new F, M, or J visa appointments “until further guidance is issued.” The stated reason: to prepare for a significant expansion of social media screening for all student visa applicants.
Why did the U.S. Government Pause Student Visa Appointments?
This policy shift fits into a broader federal strategy targeting international students and elite academic institutions. According to TIME (May 28, 2025) and BBC News (May 28, 2025), the government is linking student visa scrutiny to executive orders on terrorism and antisemitism, specifically in response to recent campus protests related to Israel and Palestine.
The leaked cable reportedly follows internal discussions about using software to analyze social media content already collected on visa forms since 2019 (Consular Intelligence, May 28, 2025). However, the exact vetting criteria remain unclear.
“This pause is frustrating, but not permanent,” said Henry Lindpere, Senior Counsel at Manifest Law. “Most students are not at risk of visa denial due to social media alone, but it’s smart to stay alert and prepared.”
Who Is Affected by the Visa Interview Pause?
| Group | Impact |
| Students with an existing visa appointment | ✅ Appointments still valid (as of May 30, 2025) |
| Students trying to schedule a new F, M, or J visa interview | ⛔ Paused globally |
| Students already in the U.S. on F-1, J-1, or OPT | ✅ No change to current visa status |
| Students needing to leave and re-enter the U.S. | ⚠️ Risky—avoid international travel if possible |
Because the cable only addresses new appointment capacity, it’s possible some embassies will react more slowly than others. No formal cancellations have been reported yet, but how and when this policy is implemented may vary between individual U.S. embassies and consulates.
What International Students Should Do Now
Here are practical, immediate steps you can take:
1. Finalize Your DS-160 ASAP
If you’re applying for a new F-1, J-1, or M-1 visa, or renewing one from outside the U.S., complete and review your DS-160 carefully before paying your MRV fee or trying to schedule an interview. Once submitted, changing the form or DS-160 number can delay your appointment or invalidate it entirely.
2. Don’t Panic-Edit Your Social Media
Don’t start deleting old posts or accounts—that behavior itself can raise flags. Instead, ensure your accounts are consistent with your application and professional in tone.
Manifest Law’s Senior Counsel Henry Lindpere adds: “For now, I would recommend avoiding explicitly political posts. Also, I would make sure your work, schooling, internships, and any volunteering are accurate and synced across platforms. Don’t leave out projects from the DS-160 that are clearly listed on your LinkedIn, for example.”
3. Defer International Travel
If you’re in the U.S. on a valid F-1 or J-1 visa, avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. You may not be able to get a return visa appointment abroad while the pause is in effect. If you need to renew your visa abroad, it is generally good practice not to leave the U.S. until you know the exact date and time of your visa interview. Leaving the U.S. before an interview has been scheduled may result in you getting stuck abroad or prolonged periods of time if the visa process is delayed.
4. Contact Your DSO and Legal Counsel
Your school’s Designated School Official (DSO) can advise you on SEVIS updates, while an immigration attorney can help you assess risk and prepare for contingencies.
A Lot of Uncertainty—But You Still Have Options
The timing and rollout of this pause are raising red flags not just among students but also among consular professionals themselves. As Consular Intelligence, a trusted newsletter for immigration attorneys and policy watchers, reported this week: “[The government] wants to make it harder and worse to be a foreign student.”
But this isn’t the first time student visa policies have changed overnight, and many have been challenged or reversed under legal pressure.
“We’ve seen similar policies come and go. Many were ultimately narrowed or blocked in court,” Manifest Law Senior Counsel Henry Lindpere noted. “The key is not to panic, but to have a solid legal strategy and keep your documentation in order.”
International students remain a vital part of the U.S. academic system. More than one million students studied in the U.S. in 2023-2024, contributing over $43 billion to the economy, according to NAFSA.
While this administration is raising new barriers, it doesn’t change the value that international students bring, or the fact that many will overcome these obstacles with the right support.
