US halts student visa appointments and plans expanded social media vetting

USA: US President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered embassies to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as it prepares to expand social media vetting of such applicants.

In a copy of a memo sent to diplomatic posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pause would last “until further guidance is issued”.

The message 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 amid Trump’s feud with some of America’s most elite colleges, which he believes are too left-wing. He says some of them have enabled antisemitism on campus and uphold discriminatory admissions policies.

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The state department memo, viewed by the BBC’s US partner CBS News, directed US embassies on Tuesday to remove any unfilled appointments from their calendars for students seeking visas, but said those with appointments already scheduled could go ahead.

The diplomatic cable also said the state department was preparing for an “expansion of required social media screening and vetting” applicable to all student visa applications. It does not spell out what the vetting would look for.

The Trump administration had already enhanced its vetting of student social media, with a focus on what the administration broadly saw as support for “terrorist activity”, according to The Guardian. In its report in March, the newspaper linked this to a broader crackdown by Trump on pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses.