US Stops Student Visa Interviews, Plans Tougher Checks on Social Media

The United States government, under President Donald Trump, has told its embassies around the world to stop giving new appointments for student visas. This is because the US wants to start checking the social media of all students who want to study in America more closely.

A memo sent to US embassies said,

“We are expanding social media vetting for student and exchange visas.”

This means students who want to go to America will have their online activities checked before they get a visa.

The US government says this move is to keep the country safe. A spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, said,

“We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that.”

For now, only people who already have appointments will be allowed to attend interviews. Others will have to wait until the US gives new instructions.

This new policy is coming at a time when President Trump is also accusing top US universities of being “too left-wing” and not doing enough to stop antisemitism, especially during pro-Palestinian protests on campuses.

The government has even stopped hundreds of millions of dollars meant for these schools and has tried to deport some students. However, some of these actions have been stopped by US courts.

China, which has many students in America, has asked the US to “earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of international students, including those from China.”

Many universities in the US are not happy with the new policy because they depend on foreign students, who usually pay higher school fees.

The US government has not said exactly what they will be looking for on students’ social media accounts. But in April, the Department of Homeland Security said that

“antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals” could be a reason to deny a visa.

Critics say this new policy is a way for the government to stop free speech and target students who support Palestine. They also say it goes against the US Constitution, which is supposed to protect free speech. But President Trump says he is only trying to protect free speech and keep the country safe.

One of the universities most affected is Harvard. President Trump has frozen $2.65 billion in funding for Harvard and is also reviewing another $100 million.

He even tried to stop Harvard from enrolling international students or hosting foreign researchers, but a court has blocked this for now.

Harvard’s president said these actions will “hurt the country, not just Harvard, because our academics are doing important research.”

If the new rules go ahead, it could be very hard for foreign students to study in America.

More than a quarter of Harvard’s students are from outside the US. Students at Harvard have already protested against the new policy.

For now, students who want to study in the US will have to wait for more information. The US government says the pause will last “until further guidance is issued.” Many students and universities are worried about what will happen next.

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