The Donald Trump administration has ordered a halt to new student visa interviews as it considers requiring foreign students to undergo social media vetting as part of their application to study in the US, the digital newspaper Politico reported on Tuesday, citing a diplomatic cable.
According to a cable obtained by Politico, the administration is telling US embassies and consular offices to halt scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants. The cable, dated May 27, is signed by secretary of state Marco Rubio.
If the administration goes ahead with the plan, it could massively slow down the processing of student visas and affect universities that rely heavily on foreign students to raise their funds.
“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 septel, which we anticipate in the coming days,” the cable states. (“Septel” is state department shorthand for “separate telegram”.)
The US had earlier introduced some social media screening requirements. However, they were mostly aimed at sending back students who may have participated in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The cable doesn’t directly say what the latest social media vetting would screen for, but it hints at executive orders that are aimed at keeping out terrorists and fighting antisemitism.
