U.S. resumes social media verification for student’s visa applications

The United States has resumed processing student visa applications for foreign nationals, with a new requirement that all applicants must make their social media accounts available for verification purposes. The latest development follows a temporary suspension in May 2025

A statement released by the U.S. Department of State on Wednesday explained that applicants under the F (academic), M (vocational), and J (exchange) nonimmigrant visa categories will undergo more intensive screening, including a review of their online presence.

“The U.S. has announced that it is resuming the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but will now require monitoring of the social media activities of the applicants,“ the statement reads. 

The moves follow the Donald Trump administration’s ambition to strengthen the country’s national security and ensure immigrants pose no threat to the United States and its citizens. The U.S. Department of State also stressed that a visa is “a privilege, not a right,” and that visa adjudications are now subject to national security decisions.

As part of its new measures, visa applicants must present their social media profiles for Visa processing. 

“We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security. Under new guidance, we 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,” it explained. 

The U.S. government explained that applicants must prove that they qualify for the type of Visa they are requesting and must show readiness to only engage in activities stipulated within their application terms.  

It added that U.S. embassies and consulates across countries will soon begin scheduling appointments for student and exchange visitors and urged applicants to check their local embassy or consulate websites for further updates. 

While Nigeria remains a major player in international education, the resumption of student visa processing comes as a significant boost for its students. Nigeria currently ranks as the top African source of international students in the United States, with around 20,000 Nigerian students enrolled. Nigeria ranks 17th globally.

Also Read: US halts students visa appointments in favour of social media vetting.

Why the U.S. suspended students’ Visa processing

Before this new directive, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, ordered a suspension of student visa processing in May. 

The U.S. government temporarily halted the scheduling of interviews for student visa applicants across embassies and consulates worldwide, citing threats to national security and the need to restructure the applicants’ vetting process and tighten oversight of incoming international students.

“We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that.” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said to reporters in May.  

The move also aligned with the Trump administration’s decision to crack down on foreign students at U.S. universities by revoking visas and deporting those involved in protests against the war in Gaza. Politically, it accused them of supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

It comes during a wide-ranging Trump crackdown on some of America’s most elite universities, such as Harvard, where he sees these institutions as too opposing and accuses them of failing to combat antisemitism when pro-Palestinian protests unfolded on campuses.

Harvard students protested after the government said it intends to cancel all remaining financial contracts with the institution, tagging it as Trump’s latest attempt to force submission to his ambition.  

Responding to the move, China called on the U.S. to protect international students, as hundreds of thousands of Chinese students attend U.S. universities.

“We urge the US side to earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of international students, including those from China,” an official said.

For U.S. universities, many of them rely on foreign students for a significant percentage of their funding, where scholars often pay higher tuition fees.