The Trump administration has issued a directive to suspend visa interviews for foreign students.

 

Since taking office for his second term, US President Donald Trump has been issuing decrees in the education sector one after another. On Tuesday, his administration issued another dire directive. In this, US embassies around the world have been asked to suspend student and exchange program (FMJ) visa interview schedules.

The directive was given as part of preparations for the soon-to-be-introduced strict social media vetting process for foreign applicants.

On the same day, the Trump administration decided to cancel all government financial agreements with Harvard University. According to these agreements, Harvard was supposed to receive about $100 million in funding.

In a cable sent to embassies on the issue of interview suspension, the US State Department said that no additional student or exchange visitor visa appointments can be scheduled until further notice.

The new directive could have a serious impact on US universities. The cable mentioned that the existing operations and vetting process are being reviewed. A broader set of social media monitoring measures will soon be enacted. In March, mandatory social media monitoring began targeting those involved in the pro-Palestinian movement. It was ordered to look for evidence of “terrorist activity or support for terrorist organizations.”

Consular officers are also being asked to save screenshots of “controversial” posts even after they are deleted. Trump’s Secretary of State, Rubio, recently said that thousands of student visas have been canceled so far.