The U.S. Government has halted the scheduling of new student and exchange visitor visa appointments at its consulates worldwide, as the State Department prepares to implement enhanced social media screening protocols for foreign students.
- •The decision, issued through a diplomatic cable from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, instructs U.S. missions to pause the issuance of new appointments for F, M, and J visa applicants while the department completes a review of its vetting procedures.
- •Visa interviews already on the calendar will proceed under existing guidelines, but any unclaimed slots will be removed from scheduling systems.
- •The State Department’s upcoming guidance is expected to require consular officers to conduct expanded social media reviews as part of the adjudication process for student and exchange visitor visas.
“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,” the cable said, as reported by U.S. media.
This is the latest action in a series of sweeping immigration policy shifts by President Trump’s administration, which has increasingly targeted academic institutions and international students under the umbrella of national security and foreign policy enforcement.
The operational impact of the changes will require consular sections to reassess their staffing, processing capacity, and prioritization of services. In particular, consular posts have been directed to prioritize American citizen services, immigrant visas, and fraud prevention efforts during this period of transition.
The administration has justified the policy shift as part of a broader campaign to intensify scrutiny of foreign nationals who, according to U.S. officials, may pose ideological threats. Students and green card holders perceived to support Palestinian causes or express criticism of U.S. allies have been targeted for removal proceedings, drawing sharp criticism from legal scholars and free speech advocates.
Kenya ranked third among sub-Saharan African nations sending students to U.S. colleges in the 2023–24 academic year, with 4,507 students — a rise of 11% from the previous year, according to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.
Nigeria led the region with 20,209 students, a 13.5% jump from the prior year and a 155% increase over the past decade, accounting for more than one-third of all sub-Saharan African students in the U.S. Ghana placed second with 9,394 students, marking a surge of over 45% after climbing 31.6% the year before.
Last week, federal authorities moved to rescind Harvard University’s ability to host international students, a move affecting over 6,000 individuals — roughly a quarter of the university’s student population. The government has also begun the process of cutting off federal contracts with the school, part of a larger attempt to rein in its perceived resistance to executive mandates.
On university campuses, the policy has sparked protests and legal battles. At Harvard, hundreds of faculty and students rallied in defense of international students and condemned the administration’s actions as politically motivated and academically harmful.