US requires social media accounts to be public for visa applications

The US diplomatic missions in Turkey had implemented significant changes to the visa application process as of May 30, 2025. Within the scope of these changes, application, payment, appointment, and courier procedures began to be conducted through a single digital platform.

Most recently, the US Embassy in Ankara announced that social media account privacy settings must be set to public for visa applications. The Embassy stated that this new regulation applies to F, M, and J type non-immigrant visas.

In the embassy's statement, it was noted that "Every visa decision is a national security decision," highlighting the importance of reviewing social media accounts to evaluate the identities of applicants and their admissibility to the US. For this reason, it was emphasized that applicants must make their personal social media accounts public.