fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
27th May 2025

Trump administration orders a pause on new student visa interviews

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • The US State Department has ordered US posts abroad to immediately pause scheduling of any new interviews for student visa applicants, pending forthcoming guidance around expanded social media vetting

Journalists at Politico have obtained a US State Department cable sent to all US diplomatic posts on 27 May 2025. Signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the cable orders all US embassies and consular sections to suspend the scheduling of new interviews for student visa applicants, in anticipation of new guidelines and requirements around expanded social media vetting.

The cable reads in part, "Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued [via separate message], which we anticipate in the coming days."

The Politico report adds that, "The cable doesn’t directly spell out what the future social media vetting would screen for, but it alludes to executive orders that are aimed at keeping out terrorists and battling antisemitism…If the administration carries out the plan, it could severely slow down student visa processing. It also could hurt many universities who rely heavily on foreign students to boost their financial coffers."

The inference from the cable is that the process and the extent of social media vetting that the State Department is now preparing to implement would represent a significant expansion of any such measures already in place.

There is no indication as to how long the pause on new visa interviews may remain in place. But it occurs early in the key May-August processing period for students intending to begin their studies in the United States in the coming academic year. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that seven out of ten student visas issued by the US in 2024 were granted in that four-month period from May through August.

Commenting on the move, NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw said:

“International students already represent the most tracked and vetted category of nonimmigrants in the United States. It is a poor use of taxpayer dollars to devote resources to screening students who are already subject to extensive background checks, while business visitors and tourists are not tracked at all.

If the administration believes enhanced scrutiny is necessary, it should be applied uniformly—not selectively to students who have long contributed to American classrooms, communities, and cutting-edge research. Moreover, there is no urgent justification to halt visa appointments while internal policy updates are considered. This only adds unnecessary delays, fuels uncertainty, and damages our reputation as a welcoming destination for global talent.

“We urge the administration to reverse this course and uphold a policy environment that reflects our national interest.”

A related 27 May advisory from NAFSA sets out that:

"Schools can help educate students on social media risks by:

  • Providing students and scholars information about the possible impact of posting politically sensitive content that could be misinterpreted by immigration authorities, and potential digital surveillance of protest activity.
  • Advising students and scholars about managing their online presence and securing accounts.
  • Connecting students and scholars to government guidance on what data U.S. border officials can access from personal devices. For example:

Preparing for expanded vetting

"Some social media posts can have real consequences," says a related post from Boundless, an online immigration advisory service. "Your visa application could be denied, or you could be turned away at the border. There are even reports of people who have legal status in the United States being put into deportation proceedings because of their social media posts."

The service offers a number of tips to prospective applicants, including:

  • "Be aware of your privacy settings and set them to be as restrictive as possible."
  • "Avoid accepting friend requests from people you don’t actually know."
  • "Remember that even deleted posts may be archived or screenshotted elsewhere."

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Language travel sector leaders call for a focus on value amid persistent discount pressure Read More
  • Canada: List of non-degree college programmes linked to post-study work rights has changed Read More
  • US administration revives proposal to limit terms of student visas Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Canada: List of non-degree college programmes linked to post-study work rights has changed The Canadian government is continuing its policy of linking eligibility for a post-study work permit (PGWP) – at...
Read more
US administration revives proposal to limit terms of student visas The Trump administration has given notice of a proposed rule change that seeks to limit the term for...
Read more
How have changes in policy settings impacted international student recruitment at Australian universities? Over the past couple of years, Australian universities have been operating within a policy framework that makes it...
Read more
New analysis sounds a note of caution for UK immigration reforms Within the UK’s higher education system, there are a group of institutions known as “Post-1992 universities”. The term...
Read more
US warns of expanded travel ban that could affect key African markets “The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be...
Read more
Breaking: US resumes student visa processing On 18 June, the US State Department sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts abroad instructing them...
Read more
Is Canada valued more as a “pathway to immigration” or as a destination for education? During a 12 June 2025 webinar presented by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and IDP, IDP...
Read more
Japanese outbound numbers reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024 An annual survey of Japanese education agents finds that outbound student numbers from this key sending market are...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links