‘Using every tool to vet’, says U.S. amid experiences of recent scholar visa interviews freeze

The U.S. mentioned it’s utilizing “every tool in our tool chest” to vet these coming into the nation, together with college students, amid experiences the Trump administration is ordering its embassies and consular sections overseas to halt scheduling new student visa interviews because it considers social media vetting for such people.

“The Trump administration is weighing requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting,” a information report in Politico mentioned.

“In preparation for such required vetting, the administration is ordering U.S. embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for such student visa applicants,” the report mentioned.

State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, in her briefing on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), was requested a few doable choice by the Trump administration that can require all overseas college students to bear social media vetting.

“Well, if you’re discussing that, that’s something that has not been discussed publicly. It would have to be leaked material if it exists. What I can remind everyone of, which we’ve discussed for months here, is that we use every tool in our tool chest to vet anyone coming in who wants to come into this country, and in order to do so, has to apply for a visa to gain access to our nation,” Ms. Bruce mentioned.

“So we — every sovereign country has a right to know who is trying to come in, why they want to come in, who they are, what they’ve been doing, and at least hopefully within that framework, determine what they will be doing while they’re here. So that’s nothing new, and we will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” she mentioned.

The Politico report cited a “cable” dated May 27 signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that mentioned, “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 referred to the State Department’s shorthand for “separate telegram”.

Responding to a query on the difficulty, Ms. Bruce additional said that the administration wouldn’t talk about particular person visa instances or the character of the alternatives made concerning people.

“We do know, though, that we take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that. We’re going to continue to vet, and we continue to have an interest. And again, whether you’re a student or a tourist who needs a visa, or whoever you are, we’re going to be looking at you,” she mentioned, including that this shouldn’t be “such a controversial thing”.

“Every nation should take seriously — and does — who’s coming in. So if you’re going to be applying for a visa, follow the normal process, the normal steps. Expect to be looked at, and we go on from there,” Ms. Bruce mentioned.

In response to a query on such a growth resulting in processing delays, Ms. Bruce mentioned, “I can’t speak to their individual experiences. We’ve always vetted people trying to come in.”

“We’ve always looked at visas seriously. It’s why we have a visa, so that you can stop and look at someone. So I can’t speak about what the individual experience will be, but the fact is that everyone knows that we’re — it’s a reminder, certainly, that we’re taking it seriously,” she added.

She mentioned, “It is a goal, as stated by the President and Secretary Rubio, to make sure that people who are here are here and understand what the law is, that they don’t have any criminal intent, and they are going to be contributors to the experience here, whether — however short or long their stay is.”

“So the small print of which I gained’t reveal, however it’s going to hopefully obtain our understanding of who deserves to go to this nation and who doesn’t,” she added.

Former member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, Ajay Bhutoria, in an announcement to PTI, mentioned the U.S. State Department’s choice to pause new scholar visa appointments to broaden social media vetting was alarming, particularly for Indian college students aiming for Fall 2025 admissions.

“While I support rigorous vetting for security, this pause risks creating significant backlogs, threatening the academic dreams of thousands of Indian students,” he mentioned.

With over 270,000 Indian college students contributing $43.8 billion to the U.S. economic system in 2024, India is a cornerstone of the India-U.S. tutorial trade.

“The 38% drop in F-1 visas issued to Indians from January to September 2024, coupled with visa slot shortages since mid-March 2025, already strains this partnership. Further delays could force students to defer admissions, face financial losses, and endure emotional hardship,” Mr. Bhutoria mentioned.

He urged the State Department to “prioritise” scholar visa processing by boosting consular assets, expediting Fall 2025 appointments, and clarifying the vetting course of.

“Congress must demand transparency on the pause’s scope and impact. Let’s preserve the US as a global education hub by addressing these challenges swiftly,” he mentioned.

The newest transfer comes days after the Trump administration ordered the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification, a transfer which means Harvard can now not enroll overseas college students and present overseas college students should switch or lose their authorized standing.

The Department of Homeland Security accused Harvard’s management of making an “unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment”.

The Politico report mentioned the administration had earlier imposed social media screening necessities, “but those were largely aimed at returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza”.

The administration has intensified its crackdown on college students who could have participated in pro-Palestine campus protests and revoked visas and ordered deportations of these concerned in such demonstrations.