US stops scheduling visa appointments for foreign students amid plans of social media screening

The Trump administration has directed US embassies and consulates to stop scheduling new visa appointments for foreign students and exchange visitors. This step comes as the State Department prepares to expand social media screening for these applicants, according to news agency Reuters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department would issue updated rules on social media vetting once a review is complete and advised consular offices to pause new visa scheduling until then.

A US official told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not affect applicants who already have scheduled visa interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government communication.

A cable signed by Rubio and obtained by AP stated: “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 formal guidance is issued.

When asked about the move at a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, “We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise.”

First reported by Politico, the move is the latest in the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on international students.

Last week, the administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enrol international students by removing it from the programme that allows US schools to sponsor foreign students for visas. That decision was quickly challenged in court and is currently blocked by a federal judge.

Earlier this year, the administration also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students already in the US, prompting some to leave the country fearing deportation. Following successful legal challenges by several students, the administration reinstated their legal status but also expanded the grounds for revoking it in the future.

With inputs from AP.