After the nearly-four week pause on student visa interviews beginning on 27th May 2025, the USA has finally resumed scheduling appointments starting on 18th June 2025.
The pause, initiated to prepare for the more extensive screening process candidates will undergo as part of the application process, coincided with the peak period of F-1 student visa applications for the Fall semester.
The US State Department cable issued to all US diplomatic posts overseas now instructs officers to vet the digital footprint, including social media activity, of all student applicants for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.”
Additionally, officers are to keep a record of any evidence that applicants demonstrate “advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to US national security,…support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.” Applicants with a history of political activism and demonstrating the likelihood to continue such activity upon arrival in the USA are to be flagged. Students will be required to set their social media profile to ‘public’, and officers must include screenshots of any concerning activity as part of the applicant’s record.
Students who may encounter issues during the screening process are not automatically ineligible for a student visa. The immigration officer can, at their discretion, decide whether the application is likely to adhere to US laws and to engage in activities consistent with their visa status.
Due to the more extensive screening process, the USA anticipates that consular offices may have to schedule fewer appointments, due to the turnaround time of the process as well as the volume of students impacted by the pause in interview appointments.
