Social media scans for student visas: The platforms US wants to monitor, and what they're looking for

The US State Department has issued a new directive requiring all students applying for F‑, M‑, and J‑type visas—including student and exchange visas—to disclose their social media handle names used in the past five years and make those accounts publicly viewable. This practice aims to help consular officers verify applicant identity and screen for security risks such as hostility toward the United States, support for terrorism, antisemitic content, or harassment.

The policy was announced on June 18, 2025, via a State Department cable instructing consulates worldwide to pause new student visa interview scheduling until these expanded social media vetting rules came into effect. As of about June 25, all applicants must comply, including those reapplying or renewing visa.

Which platforms to disclose
Applicants fill in the DS‑160 (or DS‑260 for immigrant visas), choosing from about 20 platforms—such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Weibo, Douban—and provide all usernames or handles used in the last five years.

What gets reviewed
Consular officials are instructed to review all publicly available activity on these accounts plus broader online presence, including LexisNexis and search results. Inspectors will look for:

• Signs of hostility toward U.S. citizens, culture, government, or founding ideals
  
  
• Advocacy or support for terrorist groups such as Hamas
  
  
• Unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence
  
  
• Behavior that could suggest a lack of credibility or intention to violate visa rules
  

They must capture screenshots and add detailed notes if any concerning activity is found.

What happens if you don’t comply
Refusing to list or publicize handles, omitting accounts, or keeping profiles private could be taken as evasiveness and harm credibility. Such omissions may result in visa denial or even ineligibility for future applications

What students should do now

Prepare a list of all social media usernames you have used in the past five years.

Update privacy settings on those accounts to “public.”

Avoid deleting content or suddenly changing settings just before applying—doing so may raise suspicion.

Review posts carefully and remove or archive anything that could be interpreted as hostile or extremist.

With more than a million international students in the US, and tens of thousands applying every year from India, these changes are expected to have a significant impact. Experts say students must now be more vigilant about their digital footprints and approach the visa application process with utmost transparency.