US Suspends Student Visas Amid Social Media Checks

The U.S. State Department has temporarily paused new student visa interview appointments as it prepares to expand social media screening requirements for international applicants, officials confirmed Tuesday.

A State Department cable, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by the Associated Press, instructs consular offices not to schedule any new appointments for student or exchange visitor visas until updated guidelines are issued.

“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 states.

An official, speaking anonymously, emphasized that the suspension does not affect applicants who already have interview appointments. The move is expected to be temporary.

At a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the government is intensifying vetting procedures across all visa categories.

“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce said.

The suspension is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to tighten controls on foreign students. Just last week, the administration revoked Harvard University’s authorization to sponsor international students under the student visa program. That action has been blocked for now by a federal court.

Earlier this year, the government also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students already in the U.S., prompting some to leave voluntarily. Although many of those students won legal challenges and had their status reinstated, the administration has since widened the grounds for future terminations.

Visa applicants have faced increased scrutiny of their social media history since Trump’s earlier term, a policy that was continued under President Joe Biden.

The current pause in new visa scheduling could delay enrollment for students planning to attend U.S. institutions this summer or fall. Such delays may also impact university budgets, as many colleges rely on international students—who often pay full tuition—to offset declining public funding.