United States President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its embassies to temporarily stop scheduling appointments for student and exchange visitor visas as it prepares to expand social media screening of applicants.
The directive came in a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, instructing consulates to pause new visa appointments “until further guidance is issued.” Existing appointments can proceed, but new ones should be suspended.
The expanded social media vetting aims to more thoroughly screen foreign students and exchange visitors, although specific details of what will be checked have not been disclosed.
The move is part of the administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls and address what it views as security risks, including concerns over support for terrorist activities or politically sensitive activism on campuses.
The policy has sparked tensions with U.S. universities, many of which rely heavily on international students for tuition revenue.
The Trump administration has already frozen substantial funding for some universities, revoked thousands of student visas, and moved to deport certain foreign students, decisions frequently challenged and sometimes blocked by the courts.
Harvard University has become a focal point in this dispute. Recently, the administration revoked Harvard’s authorisation to enrol international students and host foreign researchers, citing the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests and diversity policies.
This decision was temporarily halted by a federal judge. The move could severely impact Harvard, where over a quarter of students are international.
The administration justifies these measures by citing concerns about antisemitism on campus and accusing some universities of allowing pro-Palestinian activism to escalate into antisemitic incidents.
Universities, in turn, have accused the administration of infringing on free speech and academic freedom.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said applicants should continue following the normal visa process but expect increased scrutiny.
Rubio told the Senate he had revoked thousands of visas since Trump took office, using broad legal authority to remove foreign nationals considered contrary to U.S. interests.
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