Trump administration halts new student visa appointments amid expanded social media vetting

New Delhi, May 28: The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered American embassies around the world to stop scheduling new student visa appointments, as it prepares to expand social media screening for applicants seeking to study in the United States. In a diplomatic memo sent to U.S. missions as reported by the media, the Secretary of State instructed posts to remove any unscheduled visa interview slots for student and foreign exchange applicants "until further guidance is issued." Appointments already on the calendar may proceed, the memo noted, according to international media reports.

The State Department directive signals a sharp escalation in vetting measures for student and exchange visa applicants. The memo said the move would have “significant implications” for embassy operations and warned of an impending expansion of mandatory social media screening though it did not specify what online content would be scrutinised.

The clampdown comes amid President Trump’s intensifying political attacks on elite academic institutions, which he accuses of harbouring left-wing bias and fostering antisemitism through pro-Palestinian activism. The administration has argued that certain universities uphold discriminatory admissions policies and allow campus protests to veer into hate speech. Foreign students are  required to attend in-person visa interviews at U.S. consulates in their home countries. The new pause is expected to create additional hurdles for international applicants, who already face stricter vetting under Trump-era immigration rules.

Trump has also targeted university funding. His administration has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to higher education, moved to deport foreign students, and revoked thousands of visas. However, several of these actions have been halted by court orders. Harvard University has become a particular target. Last week, the Trump administration revoked its ability to admit international students or host foreign researchers, a policy that was blocked by a federal judge. If reinstated, the measure could deal a heavy blow to the institution, where more than a quarter of students are from abroad.