US Freezes Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Interviews Amid New Social Media Vetting
The Trump administration has put a sudden halt to student visa interviews at U.S. embassies around the world, as it prepares to introduce a sweeping new policy that will involve screening the social media of all foreign student applicants.
US Freezes New Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Interviews
A cable sent out by the State Department on Tuesday instructed U.S. consulates to stop adding new visa appointment slots for student and exchange visitors — those applying under F, M, and J visa categories — until further notice. Officials say detailed guidance will follow in the coming days.
The move could create major delays in visa processing and deal a serious blow to U.S. colleges and universities that depend on international students for both financial and academic contributions.
Expanded Social Media Screening Underway
In the internal message, the department explained that it’s reviewing how it handles visa applications and plans to roll out stricter rules that include “expanded social media vetting” for all student and exchange visitors.
This step builds on a previous policy introduced in March, which focused mainly on students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. At the time, consular officers were ordered to check students’ social media for signs of support for terrorism — a broad criterion that some believed included expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Officers were told to save screenshots of any “potentially derogatory” content, even if it was deleted later.