President Donald Trump has ordered all US embassies to stop scheduling new appointments for student visa applicants as it prepares to implement expanded social media screening for international students and foreign exchange visitors.
A memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed diplomatic missions to remove all unfilled student visa appointments from their calendars until further notice.
Appointments that have already been scheduled will proceed as planned.
The Trump administration wants to tighten vetting procedures by requiring thorough scrutiny of social media activity for all student visa applicants. Details of the enhanced screening process have not been specified yet.
This move follows escalating tensions between the Oval Office and several elite US universities, which Trump accuses of maintaining discriminatory admissions policies. Harvard University has been Trump’s primary target.
Foreign students are required to attend visa interviews at US embassies abroad as part of the application process. These students contribute significantly to university finances due to higher tuition fees.
The administration has also previously frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in university funding and attempted to deport international students and revoke thousands of visas. US courts have so far helped block such actions.
The policy shift is likely to impact institutions heavily reliant on international enrolment.
