Business Desk 
Jun 27, 2025
The United States (US) has made it mandatory for student and exchange visa applicants to make their social media accounts public. This new requirement applies to all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas.
However, the US consulate in Karachi and Lahore announced the move on Thursday, June 26, 2025, following similar instructions from the US Embassy in Delhi earlier this week.
US new visa rules for students
The decision comes after a new order from the Trump administration, which resumed student visa processing but increased screening through social media vetting.
An internal cable from the US State Department, dated June 18, directed consular officers to perform detailed checks on social media to identify applicants who may have negative views about US culture, people, or government.
Taking to Instagram, the US consulates said: “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States.”
Since 2019, the US visa application forms have required applicants to share their social media handles. Notably, keeping accounts private or failing to share this information could result in a visa denial or affect future visa applications.
The F and M visa categories are for international students, while the J visa applies to those joining exchange programs in the US.
This decision follows the May 27 announcement by the US administration to pause new visa appointments while expanding security checks on foreign students. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said new guidance will be shared soon.
