Cnn
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The US State Department has asked the US embassies and consulates around the world to suspend new meetings on student visas while it decides to extend “screening and verification of social media” to all candidates for student visas, according to a diplomatic cable seen by CNN.
This is the last decision of the Trump administration that could dissuade international students from studying in universities in the United States.
The cable, published Tuesday morning and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes as the Trump administration revoked student visa scores and tried to prevent foreign students from Study at Harvard University – A decision that has been interrupted by a judge at the moment.
The cable declares that the State Department “proceeds to examine existing operations and processes of screening and verification of candidates of students in students’ and exchange of candidates (F, M, J), and on the basis of this examination, plans to publish advice on the extended revision of social media for all these candidates.”
The State Department has asked Visa candidates to provide social networks identifiers on immigrant and non-immigrant visa forms since 2019, a spokesperson said. In addition, he had already called for an additional verification on the social media of certain candidates, largely linked to alleged anti -Semitism. We do not know what the extended verification of social media would imply.
However, an expansion of efforts could considerably slow down the overall process of issuing student visas. In addition, the break on new appointments, if it lasts, could create a significant backlog. Former consular officers say that the appointments for student visas are generally prioritized during this time of the year.
Lawyers who have focused on the issue of student visas are concerned about the implications that this review could have on the registration of students in the fall.
“Now, it is exactly when the students apply for visas to start the school in August. The time is not an accident. This is designed to considerably damage the registration of foreign students in the fall and harm the many universities that count on these students,” said Charles Kuck, a lawyer working with students whose visas have been revoked earlier this year, who is a former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
While students can technically ask for visas up to a year in advance, the registration process in universities means that they generally cannot start this process before the end of spring or the start of summer. Students must be admitted, deposit a deposit and then wait to receive the necessary forms from their schools before being able to apply, said former consular officers.
According to a report From the Institute of International Education, more than 1.1 million international students studied in American higher education establishments during the 2023-2024 school year. Many American universities are counting on the tuition fees of international students.
Politico was First to report the news.
The cable notes that the broadcasting and the expanding verification of social media of all candidates for student visas may have “potentially important implications for consular section operations, processes and resource allowances”.
Consequently, consular sections – which emit visas – “will have to take into account the workload requirements of each case before planning them in the future.”
He orders embassies and consulates, with immediate effect, not to add “any additional student or visa … Appointment capacity until new guidelines are issued” and to delete “the available meetings, but not made to the publication of this cable”.
The already planned meetings can still take place, notes the cable.
“Consular sections should remain focused on consular priorities, including services for American citizens, immigrant visas and fraud prevention,” said that he.
The spokesperson for the State Department, Tammy Bruce, would not confirm the cable when asked questions about the question during a briefing of the State Department. However, she noted: “We use all the tools of our tool safe to examine anyone who comes, who wants to enter this country.” A senior official of the State Department confirmed the veracity of the cable.
A spokesperson separate from the State Department said that “planning the nominations of non-immigrant visa interview is dynamic”.
“A capacity of the embassy or the consulate reflects the required time for consular agents to judge the cases which are seized with them in full compliance with American law, including to ensure that candidates do not present a risk of security or security for the United States,” they said.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Kylie Atwood of CNN contributed to this report.
