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What exactly will they check during social media screening?
At the broadest level, the screening is designed to confirm that you are not a threat to national security or public safety, and that you have not engaged in activities related to terrorism, protests, or vandalism. In practical terms, the officer will look at your pictures, your posts, tags, and any profiles or posts you have shared. The finer details of exactly what the algorithm or officer flags will become clearer once the process is formally underway — but that is the core of what they are assessing.
Do you need to declare inactive or deactivated accounts?
No — you do not need to declare accounts that are inactive or deactivated. The whole point of the screening is to give the officer a way to visit your profile and get social proof of your background. An inactive or deactivated account cannot serve that purpose, so there is no value in listing it. What matters is that every account you do declare is active, clearly linked to you, and easy for the officer to find and review. Think of it as giving the officer a window into your life — make sure that window is open and clear.
Will student visa appointment slots reopen?
This is the question I get asked more than any other right now. My honest answer is: it depends on whether you are a fresh applicant or a previously refused applicant, and the picture looks different for each.
If you are a fresh applicant
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Book a Mock InterviewThere is still a reasonable chance that appointments will open up. We are roughly two to two and a half months away from the end of the fall intake season, and there is a significant number of students still waiting. This season also matters enormously to US universities. It is genuinely unlikely that the entire fall season gets wiped out with no appointments at all. That said, the exact timing — and when the new social media screening process gets formally implemented — is still unclear. Watch this space closely over the coming weeks.
If you have a prior refusal
You will need to take a more patient, wait-and-watch approach. In previous intakes, the embassy would typically release some update or timeline about refusal slots. This time, there has been nothing. My sense is that the next ten to fifteen days will bring more clarity on where things stand for refused applicants. I know that is not the definitive answer you want, but trying to read too much into the silence right now would not serve you well.
Will other visa categories be affected?
If you are applying for a B1, B2, H1B, or any other visa category that is not student-related, the current answer is no. The appointment pause and the social media screening mandate apply specifically to student visas. You should not see a direct impact on those categories as things stand today.
What about F2, J2, and M2 dependents?
This is a grey area worth paying attention to. The social media screening announcement was made specifically for students — F2, J2, and M2 dependents were not explicitly named. However, in practice, F2, J2, and M2 appointments are also currently unavailable. It appears that the dip in dependent visa appointment availability is linked to the overall freeze on student visa slots. Whether and how long that impacts dependents is something we will need to monitor over the coming days and weeks.
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