Trump Administration Suspends New Student Visa Appointments in Bid to Tighten Immigration Controls

The Trump administration has issued an order to halt the scheduling of new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants at U.S. consulates worldwide, as the State Department moves forward with plans to expand its social media vetting process for foreign students. President Donald Trump's directive marks a significant escalation in his immigration policies, targeting the flow of international students and exchange visitors into the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the changes in an internal cable, explaining that the department plans to release updated guidance on the expanded vetting procedures once a comprehensive review is complete. Until then, all U.S. missions abroad have been instructed to stop offering new visa appointment slots to prospective students and exchange visitors. However, according to the cable, applicants who already have scheduled appointments will be allowed to proceed under the current guidelines, while any unscheduled or available appointments must be removed from the system.

"The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants, and based on that review, plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants," the cable stated. This expansion of social media scrutiny is expected to require significant adjustments in consular operations and a reallocation of resources. Consular staff have been advised to consider the increased workload and resource challenges when eventually resuming visa processing under the new rules.

A State Department spokesperson emphasized the administration’s commitment to security, stating, "We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise." The cable further instructed consular posts to prioritize services for U.S. citizens, immigrant visas, and fraud prevention efforts during this period of transition.

This action comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to increase deportations and revoke student visas, particularly in cases where foreign nationals have expressed support for Palestinians or have been critical of Israel's actions in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Officials allege that such dissent poses a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accuse some students of harboring pro-Hamas sentiments. Critics, however, decry these measures as attacks on free speech rights enshrined in the First Amendment.

The human impact of these policies has become increasingly visible. For example, a Tufts University student from Türkiye spent more than six weeks in a Louisiana immigration detention center after co-authoring an opinion article that criticized her university’s response to the war in Gaza. She was only released after a federal judge granted her bail, highlighting growing concerns over freedom of expression and due process for international students in the United States.

In a related development, the administration recently moved to strip Harvard University of its ability to enroll international students, putting at risk approximately 6,800 students—about 27 percent of the university’s total enrollment. The move follows Harvard’s resistance to government demands for sweeping policy changes and has raised fears about the financial stability and global reputation of one of America’s most prestigious educational institutions.

As the Trump administration pushes ahead with its hardline immigration agenda, universities and advocacy groups warn that the broader crackdown on foreign student visas could have far-reaching consequences for U.S. higher education, research, and international collaboration.