The Trump administration has ordered U.S. embassies and consulates to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visas as the State Department prepares to implement expanded social media vetting, according to an internal cable issued Tuesday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed consular sections to remove unfilled appointment slots while allowing existing appointments to proceed.
“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,” Rubio stated in the cable.
The upcoming social media vetting expansion, described as having “significant implications” for consular operations, will require embassies to reallocate resources and adjust processes.
While details of the vetting criteria remain undisclosed in the cable, first reported by Politico and viewed by CBS News, a State Department spokesperson underscored the administration’s commitment to thorough screening.
“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Tuesday.
The scheduling pause aligns with the administration’s broader immigration agenda, which includes increased deportations and visa revocations.
The directive follows heightened tensions with U.S. universities, notably Harvard, which the administration accuses of tolerating antisemitism and pro-Palestinian activism deemed supportive of Hamas.
Last week, the Trump administration moved to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, affecting approximately 6,800 foreign students who make up 27% of its enrollment.
A federal judge blocked the policy.
Protests erupted at Harvard on Tuesday, with students and professors decrying the administration’s actions as attacks on free speech.
A Tufts University student from Turkey, detained for over six weeks after co-authoring an opinion piece critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, was recently released on bail.
The administration’s efforts to cut university funding and restrict international student enrollment threaten institutions reliant on higher tuition fees from foreign students.
Though courts have blocked some measures, the visa appointment freeze and forthcoming vetting changes signal ongoing challenges for international education in the U.S.