According to an internal cable that was seen by news outlets on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump’s administration has mandated that its embassies abroad stop holding new visa interview dates for students and foreign visitors.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in the memo that the pause is in place because the State Department intends to expand the selection of student applicants on social media.
What this pause might mean, as we all know from the beginning.
What transpired?
Rubio demanded that US embassies everywhere the world stop holding new visa interviews for foreign students in a cable that was obtained by several news organizations.
According to the cable, “The Department is reviewing the current operations and procedures for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants,” and plans to provide guidance on expanded social media vetting for all of these applicants.
Consulate sections should not add any additional appointment capacity for student or exchange visitor visas in preparation for an expansion of the social media screening and vetting requirements.
The F-1 student visa is most common among international students. Students who enroll in exchange or scholarship programs like the Fulbright fellowship, professors who take part in exchange programs, and interns are eligible for the J-1 visa. Students who enroll in training programs in the US are eligible for an M-1 visa.
Under the condition of anonymity, a US official confirmed to The Associated Press that the suspension is temporary and does not apply to students who have already scheduled their visa interviews. How long will the halt last is a mystery.
The US State Department’s spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, said at a regular press briefing that the country will use “every tool” to screen anyone who wants to enter the country. She later declined to comment on the reports about the memo.
On Tuesday, Bruce said, “We will continue to use every tool we can to determine who is coming here, whether they are students or not.
How many students from other countries visit the US annually?
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the US State Department’s annual Open Doors report, the number of international students in US institutions increased by an all-time high of 1.13 million during the academic year 2023-2024. The number of international students enrolled in US colleges and universities increased by 6.6 percent from the previous year.
Which nations are these students from?
In Asia, 71.5% of the international students who enrolled in the US between 2023 and 2024, according to the Open Doors report.
With 331, 602 students from India enrolling in US universities, that country was the top source. China sent 277, 398 students to the US following India. South Korea, which sent 43, 149 students to the US, is in third place.
90,600 students from Europe, or 8% of the world’s student population, were sent to the US from Europe.
Which universities accept the majority of foreign students?
The Trump administration’s approval of enrolling international students was suspended last week amid a wider row between Harvard and the administration. About 27 percent of Harvard’s student body is made up of international students, who are currently accounted for by 6, 800.
Other major universities have comparable proportions of the campus population, with international students accounting for similar proportions.
22 percent of the students at Yale, Northwestern University, and New York University are from outside the United States. International students make up 30% of the total student body at the University of Rochester, which is higher.
The highest number of international students at NYU, according to the Open Doors report, was 272 between 2023 and 2024. Columbia University placed third with 20, 321 students, while Northeast University placed second with 21, 023 international students.
Are most student visas issued now in the US?
According to the memo, how many students who are aiming to enroll in academic programs at US universities this fall (autumn) will be impacted by the State Department’s proposed pause.
By the middle of March or early April, the majority of US universities make admissions announcements. Between March and June, Fulbright makes its final decisions rolling. After receiving their admissions decision, students typically apply for a student visa. After submitting their applications, applicants typically take between a few weeks and a few months to receive their visas.
F-1 student visas can be issued up to 365 days before the program’s start date, according to the US State Department website, but only 30 days before the program’s start date can students enter.
What happens to US students who need to renew their visas?
Students who need their visas renewed or extended in the US are unsure whether the pause will be affected by it.
The application process is the same as the F-1 student visa application process, which requires applicants to complete an online form and schedule an interview at a US embassy outside the US. The F-1 student visa is typically granted for a five-year period.
PhD programs typically last four years, while undergraduate programs typically last three to eight. Therefore, many PhD students must renew their US visas while completing their program. International students who complete one degree and apply for another in the US, such as those who have earned bachelor’s degrees and are pursuing master’s degrees, may need to renew their US visas as well.
What justifies this most recent move by the Trump administration?
The Trump administration’s most recent move is to impose sanctions on US universities, particularly international students who have backed Palestinians in Gaza for the past year.
The US State Department revoked Ranjani Srinivasan, 37, a PhD candidate in urban planning at Columbia University,’s student visa in early March. Up until 2029, her visa was valid. Srinivasan claimed that her speech and limited social media activity had made her face. She had posted and shared content that was critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza on social media. Additionally, she had signed a number of open letters supporting Palestinian rights.
Srinivasan claimed she never participated in any organized campus organization, and that she did not attend the US campus protests in April 2024, when Columbia campus encampments were robbing.
Source: Aljazeera
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