US stops scheduling visa interviews for foreign students while it
expands social media vetting
[May 28, 2025]
By MATTHEW LEE and ANNIE MA
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has halted the scheduling of new
visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while
it prepares to expand the screening of their activity on social media,
officials said.
A U.S. official said Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary
and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa
interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an
internal administration document.
A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The
Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on
expanded social media vetting.
“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required
social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add
any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity"
until the guidance is issued, the cable says.
Asked about the suspension at a briefing Tuesday, State Department
spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. uses every available resource to
vet people applying for visas.
“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s
coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce said.
The move, first reported by Politico, is the latest in the Trump
administration's crackdown on international students.
Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability
to enroll international students, removing the college from the program
that allows schools to sponsor foreign students for visas. That effort
was quickly challenged in court and for now is blocked by a federal
judge.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a hearing of the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 21,
2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
This spring the administration also revoked the legal status of
thousands of international students already in the country, leading
some to leave the U.S. out of fear of deportation. After many
students filed successful legal challenges, the administration said
it was restoring the students’ legal status. But the government also
expanded the grounds for terminating international students' legal
status going forward.
President Donald Trump’s previous administration stepped up scrutiny
of all visa applicants, introducing reviews of their social media
accounts. The policy remained during President Joe Biden's
administration.
An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays
that may disrupt college, boarding-school or exchange students'
plans to enroll in summer and fall terms.
A downturn in enrollment of international students could hurt
university budgets. To make up for cuts in federal research funding,
some colleges shifted to enrolling more international students, who
often pay full tuition.
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