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The U.S. Department of State, under President Donald Trump, has halted all interviews for foreign citizens applying for student and exchange visas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent out an order to U.S. embassies and consulates on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.
The State Department put all new interview appointments on a temporary pause in order to expand scrutiny over applicants social media posts. Visa applicants have been asked to provide their social media since 2019, according to a statement.
We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting, the Department said in a statement.
It did not specify what may constitute grounds for rejection.
The news comes as the Trump administration started vetting students social media in March in its efforts to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, the BBC reported. In April, the US Department of Homeland Security said it would consider antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.
The Trump admin recently tried to block international student enrollment at Harvard University
This is the White Houses latest effort to hinder the studies of international students. Earlier this May, President Donald Trump said it took away Harvards ability to enroll international students. The initiative was blocked on Friday by a federal judge who issued a temporary restraining order.
The Trump administration has been attempting to restrict anti-Israel speech on college campuses by revoking the legal status of students who were permanent residents and participated in protests. It has also been telling institutions to comply with a set of rules (notably cracking down on student protests).
The U.S. Department of State said the new vetting process for international students is to ensure applicants do not pose a security or safety risk to the United States.
International students are an essential part of higher education, with many institutions relying on them to pay full tuition fees. In 2023, foreign students pursued over 1.3 million degrees, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
