U.S. Suspends New Student Visa Appointments Amid Expanded Social Media Screening

The U.S. Department of State has ordered all American embassies and consulates worldwide to pause new student visa appointments while it develops new guidelines to expand social media screening for all student visa applicants, according to CNN

This move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to deter international students from attending U.S. universities. The cable, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes as the administration has already revoked multiple student visas and attempted to block foreign students from enrolling at Harvard, an effort temporarily halted by a court ruling.

The State Department is reviewing its current processes for screening applicants for F, M, and J visas (student and exchange visitor categories) and plans to issue guidance that would expand mandatory social media checks. While some screening was previously conducted, mostly related to alleged antisemitism, applying it universally could significantly slow down the visa issuance process.

The cable warns that expanded screening could have “significant implications for consular operations, processes, and resource allocation.” As a result, embassies and consulates have been instructed not to add new appointment slots and to cancel untaken appointments created before the cable was issued. However, previously scheduled appointments may proceed.