US Visa Applicants Face Stricter Social Media Checks

The US Embassy in Thailand has announced a significant tightening of its visa screening process, now requiring all temporary visa applicants to set their social media accounts to "public." Any discovery of inappropriate content could lead to immediate visa denial.

 

Effective immediately, applicants for F, M, or J temporary visas will need to adjust the privacy settings of all their social media profiles to "public."

 

This allows US officials to scrutinise the necessary information for identity verification and eligibility under US law.

 

This intensified visa screening follows a revised travel advisory issued by the US Department of State in June.

 

The advisory elevated warnings for four countries beyond the usual level of general caution:


Israel: Level 4 (Do Not Travel)
Dominican Republic: Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution)
India: Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution)
Mozambique: Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution)


 

The new directive from the US Embassy in Thailand makes it clear that background checks for visa applicants will now cover "all online presence," extending beyond just social media activity.

 

Officials are authorised to use search engines and other relevant online sources for a thorough investigation of applicants' digital footprints.
  

What Will Be Scrutinised?

The new policy encompasses all popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), YouTube, and LinkedIn.

 

Officials will meticulously examine applicants' online behaviour, including posts, comments, shares, and attitudes towards US culture and government.

 

Content expressing violence, hatred, extremist ideologies, or xenophobia, such as antisemitism, will be particularly scrutinised.

 

During the visa application review, embassy officials will consider any information that might indicate negative attitudes or severe criticism deemed inappropriate or detrimental to the United States. 



 

Should inappropriate content be found on social media, even if an applicant's other documents are complete and meet all requirements, it could serve as grounds for immediate visa denial.

 

For instance, expressing support for Hamas or related activities on social media could lead to a failed visa application.

 

Crucially, setting an account to "private" will be interpreted as an intentional attempt to conceal information, significantly elevating the risk of visa rejection.

 

This new rule applies to temporary visa categories including F-1 (university and college student visas), M-1 (vocational student visas), and J-1 (exchange visitor visas).

(2025/06/23-00:00)