The Trump administration directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world Tuesday to halt scheduling visa interviews for international students as it weighs expanding “social media screening and vetting” for applicants.
The State Department issued an internal cable Tuesday, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that “effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued [separate telegram], which we anticipate in the coming days,” multiple outlets reported.
The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.
The development could lead to delays in processing student visas and hamper colleges and universities that depend on payments from international students.
“The department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants,” the State Department said in the cable.
Earlier this year, the administration revoked thousands of international students’ visas.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement later restored more than 1,500 foreign student visa registrations in its reporting system.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program, therefore barring the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the international students at Harvard would need to transfer to another institution or risk jeopardizing their legal status.
The order was later temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs.
The cable, reports indicate, says that if the expanding screening procedures are enacted, it might have “potentially significant implications for consular section operations, processes and resource allocations.”
As a result, the consular sections, which issue visas, “will need to take into consideration the workload requirements of each case prior to scheduling them going forward.”
