US halts new student visa interviews amid plan to expand social media checks

The US government has instructed embassies worldwide to stop scheduling new student visa interviews, citing plans to tighten social media screening for international applicants.

A State Department memo indicates that embassies and consulates should remove unscheduled appointments for student and exchange visitor visas. Interviews already on the calendar will proceed. The halt remains in effect until new guidance is issued.

Officials say the move is part of a broader strategy to increase social media vetting of applicants. Details on what the new checks would include have not been made public.

The shift comes as former President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on US universities, accusing them of permitting antisemitic behaviour under the guise of pro-Palestinian activism. The Department of Homeland Security recently announced that antisemitic content online or in-person harassment of Jewish individuals could factor into immigration decisions.

China has voiced concern, urging Washington to uphold the rights of international students. Chinese nationals make up a significant portion of the foreign student population in the US.

Universities, which depend heavily on higher fees from international students, are expected to oppose the policy. Several institutions are already engaged in legal battles with the administration over funding freezes and visa revocations.

Trump has taken particular aim at Harvard, suspending billions in federal grants and attempting to strip the university of its authority to host international scholars. A court blocked that effort last week.

Free speech advocates and academic leaders have warned that the administration’s actions may undermine constitutional protections and damage the US higher education system’s global standing.