On May 27, the U.S. Department of State announced a temporary pause on F, M, and J student and scholar visa appointments to implement expanded social media vetting procedures. On June 18, the Department released a statement announcing that embassies and consulates may resume scheduling F, M, and J visa appointments. The statement noted that, under the new guidance, posts will "conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants."
Appointment Availability
On June 18, The Washington Post reported that a State Department cable advised posts to "consider overall scheduling volume and the resource demands of appropriate vetting," suggesting that embassies may need to schedule fewer student and scholar visa appointments than in the past. The same report also stated that the new procedures will take effect within five business days of the cable's release.
Appointment availability will likely vary by embassy/consulate, and we encourage those trying to schedule interviews to check their local appointment availability frequently.
Social Media Screening
Applicants should be prepared for additional screening of their online presence as part of the visa application process. According to the State Department, "all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'" to facilitate this vetting.
According to the June 18 cable, officers screening social media will be looking for:
- Any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States
- Advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security
- Support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence
The cable also instructs officers to review and consider private or limited-access social media accounts as they would any case where "an applicant fails to provide certain information on request,” emphasizing that officers must "consider whether such failure reflects evasiveness or otherwise calls into question the applicant’s credibility.”
We deeply value our international community, and we remain committed to supporting you during your academic journey with GW. We look forward to welcoming you to campus and will keep our community informed of any additional guidance as it becomes available.