Beginning on May 29, the main entrance to our office at 6901 Willow St will be closed due to remodeling for the front desk. During this time, students and scholars will not be able to enter our office using the front door. To access our building during the renovations, please use the side door located on the side of our building closest to the PJs on Willow St. Once you enter, follow the signage to the temporary front desk. OISS will remain open for normal business hours during the construction. We anticipate the construction should be complete in 2-3 weeks. Thank you for your patience.

Restarting International Student Visa Processing with Expanded Social Media Screening

Office of International Students and Scholars oiss@tulane.edu
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According to a June 18, 2025 Department of State cable, US consulates have now been directed to resume processing F, J, and M visas for individuals not subject to a travel ban, as of June 25, 2025. 

Reviews and interviews of visa applicants will be conducted, after which the consulate will issue a form of administrative refusal which asks the applicant to set their social media accounts to “public” and otherwise remove any limits to access or visibility.

Social media will then be screened by the consular officer for:

  • any indication of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the US;
  • advocacy, aid, support, for foreign terrorist organizations;
  • any support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence;
  • a history of political activism;
  • any inconsistencies from information otherwise presented in your application or interview; and 
  • any other potentially derogatory information (such as an arrest).

Applicants who have already been interviewed but who have not yet received their visas may also receive a request to make their social media public. 

Declining to remove limits to social media visibility could be viewed as a form of evasiveness or otherwise a challenge to a visa applicant’s credibility. 

These procedures may affect the overall scheduling capacity of consular posts and may in some cases result in an extended delay.

- The OISS Team

***June 21 Update***

Yesterday we shared some news about a change in the way international student visas are processed at US consulates. We’ve seen your passionate engagement and we write now to clarify the information described in our post. 

The requirement to make social media public and the criteria for which they will be screened are imposed by the current US administration, as widely reported by various news outlets. 

These screenings will not be done by OISS or Tulane, and will be performed by US consular officers. Nor are these requirements imposed by OISS. We have not and we will not impose any requirements inhibiting activism or free speech on the part of our students.

Earlier this year, we promised to keep our international community informed on all upcoming immigration developments. Sharing and describing a major change in the way visas are processed by the government is part of that promise. Such an announcement is not meant to promote or endorse such a change, but it is our responsibility to the Tulane community to communicate all relevant news, even when some might find it upsetting. 

Now, more than ever we continue to welcome all of our international community, with their many voices, and we are committed to supporting them by helping to navigate the ever more complex system in which they must move. 

We stand with you in solidarity and we invite any incoming international students and scholars who have any questions about their visa applications to reach out to their OISS advisor.

- The OISS Team