June 27, 2025: In a significant policy shift, the United States has tightened visa regulations for Pakistani applicants seeking F (academic), M (vocational), and J (exchange visitor) nonimmigrant visas. The US consulates in Karachi and Lahore have now made it mandatory for all such applicants to set their social media accounts to ‘public’ for vetting purposes, as reported by ARY News.
This step aligns with a recent directive issued by the US Embassy in Delhi and follows a June 18 internal US State Department cable. The memo instructed consular officers to implement stricter screening measures to identify individuals with potentially hostile views toward the United States.
Applicants were informed through official Instagram announcements that failing to make their social media profiles public could result in visa denial or future ineligibility. Since 2019, applicants have been required to list their social media handles in visa applications, but this new rule now demands full visibility of their activity online.
The directive is part of broader efforts—initiated during former President Donald Trump‘s administration—to reinforce immigration and national security protocols.
The US State Department emphasized, “Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. We must ensure that those applying for admission do not intend to harm Americans or our institutions.”
By mandating public access to applicants’ social media, US officials aim to verify identity and assess admissibility under immigration law with greater accuracy.