As of May 27, 2025, new student (F, M, or J) visa interviews at U.S. consular posts were paused pending further guidance in preparation for expanding social media screening. Visa interviews already scheduled are expected to remain in place.

On June 4, 2025, entry into the United States was suspended for any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under an F, M, or J visa.

On June 18, 2025, scheduling for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa applications will resume. The U.S. State Department resumed student visa processing but now requires all F, M, and J visa applicants to publicize their social media profiles. This expanded vetting aims to detect hostility toward the U.S. or support for terrorism, antisemitic violence, or threats to national security. All F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa applicants will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all social media profiles to “public”.

The policy includes posts and broader “online presence,” using tools like LexisNexis. Consular officers are instructed to flag political activism or suspicious content, with screenshots retained for recordkeeping. Applicants must proactively clean up or clarify past online activity; even applicants with existing interviews will be held to this standard. These policy changes mark a significant shift toward national security vigilance via digital thoroughness in visa adjudication.