US pauses new scholar visa interviews in social media vetting push: Report

The Donald Trump administration has ordered US consulates worldwide to pause new student visa interviews, Politico reported, citing paperwork signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The transfer is a part of a broader plan to mandate social media vetting for all international college students making use of to check in America.

The report additionally warned that the transfer may severely disrupt student visa processing and financially strain US universities that rely closely on worldwide enrolments.

“Effective instantly, in preparation for an growth of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections mustn’t add any extra scholar or trade customer (F, M, and J) visa appointment capability till additional steerage is issued septel, which we anticipate within the coming days,” the doc accessed by Politico said.

Earlier, the Trump administration had launched social media screening guidelines, largely focusing on returning college students linked to protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The newest order didn’t element what new vetting would entail, but it surely referenced government orders targeted on counterterrorism and combating antisemitism, hinting at broader scrutiny forward.

More than 1.1 million worldwide college students enroled in US schools and universities throughout the 2023-24 tutorial yr, knowledge from the Institute of International Education confirmed. According to a report by the National Association of Foreign Student Adviser, international college students pump USD 43.8 billion yearly into the US financial system and help over 3,78,000 jobs within the nation.

The Trump administration has deployed a spread of rules to crack down on universities, particularly elite institutions like Harvard, that it accused of leaning too liberal and fostering antisemitism on campus.

Last week, it moved to strip Harvard of its authority to enroll worldwide college students, a call swiftly contested and put on hold by a federal court. Donald Trump adopted up by demanding a listing of all international college students on the college, claiming their dwelling nations contribute nothing towards their training within the US.