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JUST IN: Trump Cancels Student Visa Appointments, Embassies Worldwide Ordered To Stop
US President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered embassies to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as it prepares to expand “social media vetting” of such applicants.
In a copy of a memo sent to “diplomatic posts,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pause would last “until further guidance is issued”.
The message indicated that “social media vetting” would be intensified for student and foreign exchange visas, which would have “significant implications” for embassies and consulates.
This action comes amidst Trump’s ongoing dispute with some of America’s most elite colleges, which he believes are too “left-wing.” He asserts that some of them have enabled antisemitism on campus and uphold discriminatory admissions policies.
The state department memo, seen by the BBC’s US partner CBS News, instructed US embassies on Tuesday to remove any “unfilled appointments” from their calendars for students seeking visas, but noted that those with appointments already scheduled could proceed.
The diplomatic cable also stated that the state department was preparing for an “expansion of required social media screening and vetting” applicable to all student visa applications.
Foreign students who wish to study in the US are typically required to schedule interviews at an American embassy in their home country before obtaining approval.
Many institutions depend on foreign students for a substantial portion of their funding, as these students often pay higher tuition fees.
When questioned about student visas, state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Tuesday: “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.”
The Trump administration has frozen “hundreds of millions of dollars” in funding for universities and moved to “deport students,” while revoking thousands of visas for others. Many of these actions have been blocked by the courts.
The White House has accused some US universities of allowing “pro-Palestinian activism” on campus to be “hijacked by antisemitism.”
Colleges have accused the Trump administration of attempting to infringe upon “free speech rights.”
Harvard University has been the central point of President Donald Trump’s anger. Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s ability to enrol international students or host foreign researchers. A federal judge blocked the policy.
If the measure is permitted, it could deliver a devastating blow to the university, where “more than a quarter of students are foreign.”
Credit: BBC
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