US Embassies Ordered to Halt Interviews for Student and Exchange Visit Visas

The Trump administration has ordered US embassies worldwide to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students as it prepares to implement comprehensive social media screening for all international applicants.

- Joseph Gedeon

A state department cable on Tuesday instructed consular sections to pause adding "any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued" within days.

The directive, first reported by Politico, could severely delay visa processing and hurt universities that rely heavily on foreign students for revenue. Donald Trump accuses many universities of having far-left ideologies.

"The department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants," the cable reads. Officials plan to issue guidance on "expanded social media vetting for all such applicants".