Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants
Dear International Community
The U.S. Department of State announced on June 18 that embassies and consulates will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applications soon and applicants should check the relevant embassy or consulate website for appointment availability. However, moving forward, applicants will be subject to a new social media vetting process. This is important information for anyone applying for a F or J student visa or a J scholar visa, including those who will be traveling outside the U.S. and will need to obtain a new F or J visa to re-enter.
According to the June 18 announcement, the Department of State will “conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public.’”
The full text of the announcement can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.
For general questions or concerns about visas please contact the Bechtel International Center. For questions about upcoming international travel please consult guidance found on the Stanford International Travel website.
Please know that Stanford values its international community and we are always here to support you.
Best,
Bechtel International Center
