Washington, May 28 (AP) — The U.S. State Department has paused the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students, which aims to allow time to expand screening processes of their social media activities, officials have said.
An official from the U.S. government, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal document, stated on Tuesday that this suspension is intended to be temporary and does not affect those who have already scheduled their visa interviews.
According to a cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acquired by The Associated Press, the State Department plans to issue new guidance concerning the expanded vetting of social media.
“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity until the guidance is issued,” the cable indicated.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, addressing the press at a briefing on Tuesday, noted that the U.S. leverages every available resource to vet people applying for visas.
“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce emphasized.
This move, initially reported by Politico, is the latest step in the Donald Trump administration’s series of restrictions concerning international students.
Just last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, effectively excluding the college from the program that allows educational institutions to sponsor foreign students for visas.
This action faced immediate legal challenges and has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Earlier this spring, the administration also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students already residing in the U.S., causing many to leave the country due to deportation fears.
After numerous successful legal challenges by students, the administration announced it would restore the students' legal status, although it simultaneously expanded the criteria under which international students' legal status could be terminated in the future.
The Trump administration had previously increased scrutiny on all visa applicants by initiating reviews of their social media accounts, a policy that continued under the previous president, Joe Biden.
An extended pause in student visa scheduling might result in delays that could interfere with college, boarding school, or exchange students' plans to enroll for the summer and fall terms.
A downturn in the enrollment of international students could also adversely affect university budgets. Some colleges have shifted to enrolling more international students, who often pay full tuition, to compensate for reduced federal research funding.
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