US halts student visas; plans expanded social media vetting
Washington: US President Donald Trump's administration has ordered US embassies around the world to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as it prepares to expand social media vetting of such applicants.
An official memo said social media vetting would be stepped up for student and foreign exchange visas, which would have "significant implications" for embassies and consulates.
It comes during a wide-ranging Trump crackdown on some of America's most elite universities. He sees these institutions as too left-wing - accusing them of failing to combat antisemitism when pro-Palestinian protests have unfolded on campuses. Responding to the move, China called on the US to protect international students.
"We urge the US side to earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of international students, including those from China," an official was quoted as saying. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students attend US universities.
The universities themselves are likely to be disquieted as well. Many of them rely on foreign students for a significant chunk of their funding - as those scholars often pay higher tuition fees.
Foreign students who want to study in the US are usually required to schedule interviews at a US embassy in their home country before approval.
State department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Tuesday: "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."
The memo, viewed by the BBC's US partner CBS News, directed US embassies to remove any unfilled appointments from their calendars for students seeking visas, but said those with appointments already scheduled could go ahead. The pause would last "until further guidance is issued", Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote.
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