Adjudication of F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas – paused for the last month – will soon resume, and applicants will be subject to heightened screening and vetting, including of their social media accounts.
The Trump Administration has announced new screening and vetting adjudication procedures for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa categories. These procedures will include a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including an evaluation of online presence, of all student and exchange applicants. The administration will instruct all F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applicants to adjust the privacy settings on all social media profiles to "public."
The U.S. State Department has not yet announced a specific date as to when F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa appointment scheduling will continue and has advised that applicants regularly check relevant embassy or consulate websites for appointment availability. The official announcement from the U.S. Department of State can be found here: Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants.
The screening and vetting procedures of foreign nationals' social media accounts were implemented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on April 9, 2025. Under this policy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now considers a foreign national's antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests. This includes applications for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students, and foreign nationals affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity. The official DHS announcement can be found here: DHS to Begin Screening Aliens' Social Media Activity for Antisemitism.
Please contact a Baker Donelson immigration attorney should you have any questions or require any guidance on the U.S. Department of State's recent policies for adjudication of nonimmigrant and immigrant visas abroad.