President Donald Trump’s administration has instructed U.S. diplomatic missions abroad to suspend the scheduling of new visa appointments for student and exchange visitor applicants on 28 May, as the State Department prepares to expand its review of foreign students’ social media accounts.
In a diplomatic cable sent to U.S. diplomatic missions, U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio stated that “effective immediately, and in preparation for expanded screening procedures related to social media, consular sections should refrain from adding new appointments for student or exchange visitor visas (F, M, J) until further guidance is issued via a separate cable, expected in the coming days.”
While the U.S. State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students seeking to study in the United States, previously scheduled appointments would proceed under existing guidelines.
According to the cable, social media vetting for students and foreign exchange visas would have “significant implications” for embassies and consulates.
“We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that,” said the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
The decision is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten restrictions on international students. Last week, the administration revoked Harvard University’s certification to host foreign students, removing the institution from the federal program that enables colleges and universities to sponsor student visa applicants. The decision was swiftly challenged in court and later blocked by a federal judge.
At the same time, hundreds of foreign students across the United States have had their visas rescinded. Others, despite residing in the country legally, have been detained and threatened with deportation after taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
As of the academic year of 2021–2022, the number of Egyptian students enrolled at U.S. institutions rose to 3,976, marking an 8.3 percent increase from the previous year, according to data from the International Trade Administration.
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