On May 27, news outlet Politico reported the release of a Department of State (DOS) cable which instructed consular officers not to schedule visa interviews for F, M, or J visa applicants so the consulates can expand social media vetting of these individuals. It appears this pause does not apply to already scheduled interviews, although it remains to be seen whether visa denials for F, M, and J visas will increase.
While the previously mentioned cable appears to apply to all students and exchange visitors seeking G, M, or J visas, a more recent cable targets Harvard directly. On May 30, the Department of State issued a cable directing consular officers to “immediately begin additional vetting of any nonimmigrant visa applicant seeking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose in order to address acute concerns of violence and anti-Semitism at Harvard University.” That cable advises officers to determine an applicant’s eligibility, and then, if she is eligible for the visa on all other grounds, to deny the case pending a thorough online review. The cable directs consular offices to “request that the applicant set all of his social media accounts to ‘public,’ and remind him that limited access to or visibility of social media activity could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity.”
These policies will have serious negative impacts on many international students and prospective international students.
The attorneys at Murray Osorio are here to help you analyze all your options, so please don’t hesitate to reach out for a consultation. For those who are already in the USA in a valid status, it may be wise to consider filing a change of status instead of traveling abroad. For those who have an interview already scheduled, careful preparation for the consular interview will be essential.