Fact Check: State Department's New Vetting Rules Could Deny Visas to Qualified Doctors
What We Know
The U.S. State Department announced on June 18, 2025, that it would implement expanded screening and vetting procedures for visa applicants, particularly focusing on student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant categories. This new policy mandates that applicants adjust their social media privacy settings to "public" to facilitate thorough vetting, which includes reviewing their online presence (Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants). The State Department emphasizes that every visa adjudication is a national security decision, aimed at ensuring that applicants do not pose a threat to U.S. interests (Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants).
In addition to these new vetting procedures, there have been ongoing concerns regarding visa restrictions that particularly affect foreign medical graduates. For instance, a report from Forbes highlights that a visa ban imposed by the Trump administration has already created barriers for many foreign doctors seeking to enter the U.S. for residency programs. This ban specifically targets individuals from 19 countries, which has exacerbated the existing shortage of doctors in the U.S. (Trump's Visa Ban Is Barring New Foreign Doctors From ...).
Analysis
The claim that the State Department's new vetting rules could deny visas to qualified doctors is partially true. The expanded vetting procedures could indeed complicate the visa application process for many applicants, including qualified doctors. The requirement for applicants to make their social media profiles public raises concerns about privacy and could potentially lead to misinterpretations of applicants' online activities, which may affect their eligibility (Reading Between the Lines: State Department Cable Reveals Alarming New ...).
However, it is essential to note that while these new rules could create additional hurdles, they do not explicitly deny visas to qualified doctors. Instead, they increase the scrutiny under which all applicants, including those in the medical field, will be evaluated. The Forbes article indicates that the existing visa bans and restrictions already create significant barriers for foreign medical graduates, which may be compounded by the new vetting rules (Trump's Visa Ban Is Barring New Foreign Doctors From ...).
The reliability of the sources is generally high, as they come from official announcements and reputable news outlets. However, the interpretation of how these policies will impact specific groups, such as foreign doctors, can vary and may be influenced by the perspectives of the authors or the organizations involved.
Conclusion
The verdict on the claim that the State Department's new vetting rules could deny visas to qualified doctors is Partially True. While the new vetting procedures could lead to increased scrutiny and potential complications for visa applicants, they do not categorically deny visas to qualified doctors. The existing barriers from previous visa bans further complicate the situation, making it a nuanced issue rather than a straightforward denial of access.
