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.
Now, the administration is expanding that scrutiny to all student visa applicants. This means applicants’ social media activity — from posts and shares to comments — on platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok will be examined for anything that might be considered a national security threat. The expansion aligns with the Trump administration’s push to tie such online content to concerns about antisemitism.
Also read: President Mnangagwa Welcomes Donald Trump’s Decision to Deport Hundreds of Zimbabweans From the US
Visa Revocations on the Rise
In an update to lawmakers, Senator Marco Rubio told colleagues that thousands of visas have already been revoked as part of the broader vetting process. He estimated, “probably in the thousands at this point,” up from around 300 cases reported earlier this year. He also signalled that the process is ongoing: “We probably have more to do.”
The new visa freeze comes at a time when American universities are already struggling with falling numbers of international students. According to data from NAFSA, foreign students brought $43.8 billion into the U.S. economy in the 2023–2024 academic year and helped support over 378,000 jobs.
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