Student and Scholar (F, J, M) Visa Interviews To Resume with New Vetting Procedures

Student and Scholar (F, J, M) Visa Interviews To Resume with New Vetting Procedures

Dear International Students and Scholars,

The U.S. Department of State has announced that they will resume scheduling entry visa interviews for student and scholar visa statuses (F, J, M) at U.S. Embassies/Consulates abroad soon following the implementation of “…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 privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public”.”

The full announcement is available here:  https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/06/announcement-of-expanded-screening-and-vetting-for-visa-applicants/

Applicants should keep checking the U.S./Embassy Consulate interview scheduling system for when and where they can apply. Availability and times will vary among consulates. 

We will continue to share any additional guidance provided by the U.S. Department of State as soon as it is received on the Major Immigration Alerts and Updates webpage.

If any questions arise, please contact your advisor at the MIT International Students Office or MIT International Scholars Office.

Sincerely,
Penny Rosser, Director, MIT International Scholars Office
David C. Elwell, Associate Dean and Director, MIT International Students Office