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The proposed regulation represents the most significant change to student and exchange visitor immigration in over 40 years. As stated in the preamble:

"DHS proposes to amend its regulations by changing the admission period in the F, J, and I classifications from duration of status to an admission for a fixed time period." (Page 1)

Read more about Proposed Changes to F-1, J-1, (students) and I Nonimmigrant Classifications

Enhanced Social Media Vetting for Student and Exchange Visas: Troubling Developments in Immigration Screening

8 months ago By Chief Editor

Read more about Enhanced Social Media Vetting for Student and Exchange Visas: Troubling Developments in Immigration Screening

Rajiv's Article - Enhanced social media vetting for student and exchange visas - What you need to know

8 months ago By Chief Editor

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: April 04, 2025

https://shorturl.at/xyEtn

Synopsis

The State Department's new social media screening measures affect F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applicants, requiring mandatory reviews under certain conditions. These include broad interpretations of terrorist support and criteria for hostile attitudes toward U.S. institutions, potentially leading to visa revocations.

For more information on this article, please see the attachment below.

Read more about Rajiv's Article - Enhanced social media vetting for student and exchange visas - What you need to know

Guestbook Entry for Vinod Kumar , United States

19 years ago By Editor

Name

Vinod Kumar

Country

United States

State

Read more about Guestbook Entry for Vinod Kumar , United States

US Visa & Social Media: What you need to know about new screening policies and their impact

5 months ago By Chief Editor

Question details

I believe there was a proposal to include social media handles as part of certain visa/immigration applications. Do you know what the consequences of that are?

If one has deleted social media accounts they don't have access to or accounts they don't remember the details for would that negatively impact the application? Also, is it just public posts that get reviewed or do private messages/dms get reviewed also?

FAQ Transcript

As of June 24, 2025, the US Consulates have updated their policies for F (academic student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor) visa applicants. The key requirements are:

Public Privacy Settings: All your social media accounts must have their privacy settings adjusted to "public" so that the consulate can review them.

Disclosure of Usernames: You are required to list all social media usernames or handles from every platform you have used for the last 5 years. This includes accounts, even if they have since been deleted.

Failing to comply with these requirements, including omitting social media information or keeping accounts private, could lead to visa denial. The new policy aims to facilitate vetting to establish identity and admissibility to the United States.

Read more about US Visa & Social Media: What you need to know about new screening policies and their impact