S'pore universities monitoring US visa situation, may advise students to postpone exchange programmes

Straits Times

6 days ago

The institutions are keeping a close eye on the suspension of scheduling appointments for student and foreign visitor visas. PHOTO: REUTERS
SINGAPORE - Singapore's autonomous universities are closely monitoring developments in US immigration policy, particularly the pause on new student and exchange visitor visa appointments, which could impact students taking part in exchange programmes.
On May 27, a US State Department directive ordered embassies worldwide to suspend scheduling appointments for student and foreign visitor visas.
Those that have already been scheduled can continue to proceed, but slots that have yet to be taken up should be pulled down, said the directive , as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting on such applicants.
Four of the six autonomous universities - the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) - have students preparing to spend a stint in the US.
In response to queries, a spokesperson for NUS said the institution has been advising and extending support to students who have either applied or are already bound for an exchange programme in the US.
This includes placing them in exchange programmes in other countries, as well as rescheduling or deferring their plans where possible.
While NUS declined to provide the number of students who fall in this category, the spokesperson said: 'As this is an evolving situation, we are closely monitoring developments.'
Over at NTU , more than 140 students are preparing to head to the US in the coming months, all of whom are at various stages of their visa application process.
The university is in contact with its American partner institutions to determine the potential impact on upcoming programmes.
NTU has so far issued a travel advisory for students' safety, with a spokesperson adding that students can withdraw and 'explore alternative overseas opportunities available'.
SMU said it is prepared to assist students depending on their individual circumstances, including redeploying them to partner universities in other countries.
Another option is for students to postpone their exchange programme to a later semester, a spokesperson said, reassuring students that it will 'extend every support' to those whose exchange programmes may be affected.
SUTD said it has six students slated to travel to the US for its summer and exchange programmes with American institutions.
Of the six, two have already received their visas, while the remaining four have yet to apply.
'We are in close contact with all six and will continue to check in regularly on their visa status,' said a SUTD spokesperson, who added that the university also shares International SOS advisories with all students bound for an overseas location.
International SOS provides services to safeguard individuals and organisations from health and security threats worldwide.
Meanwhile , students from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) seem to have been spared the uncertainty caused by the changes in US immigration policy.
Although there is already a group of SIT students currently in the US, they were not affected by recent developments.
The university also does not have any more student exposure programmes there planned for the rest of the year.
SUSS does not have any students taking part in an exchange programme in the US currently either, with a spokesman adding that the university does not have further comments at this juncture.
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Aqil Hamzah is a journalist covering breaking news at The Straits Times, with interests in crime and technology.
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