The Voice News:
The administration of US President Donald Trump has instructed American embassies worldwide to suspend the scheduling of visa interviews for student and exchange programs (F, M, J categories). According to British media outlet The Guardian, this directive is part of preparations to introduce a stricter social media screening process for foreign applicants.
A cable sent Tuesday by the US State Department stated that no additional appointments for student or exchange visitor visas may be scheduled until further notice.
This new directive could significantly impact American universities, especially those that rely financially on international students and institutions that Trump has often labeled as “far-left.”
The US State Department has not yet made any official comments on the matter.
According to the cable, current operations and vetting procedures are under review. A more extensive social media surveillance system is expected to be implemented soon.
Under this system, posts, shares, and comments made by applicants on platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok will be scrutinized to identify any potential threats to national security.
Mandatory social media monitoring began in March, targeting individuals involved in pro-Palestinian movements. Consular officers were instructed to search for evidence related to “terrorist activities or support for terrorist organizations” and to save screenshots of any controversial posts, even if deleted.
Trump’s Secretary of State, Rubio, recently stated that thousands of student visas have already been revoked. In March alone, more than 300 were canceled.
According to NAFSA, over 1 million international students studied in the US during the 2023–24 academic year. They contributed $43.8 billion to the US economy and supported more than 378,000 jobs. The new visa suspension could deepen the ongoing crisis in US international education.