The Donald Trump administration has instructed all U.S. embassies worldwide to completely suspend student visa interviews.

This is a preliminary measure to mandate social media screening for foreign students. The Trump administration, which is concerned about the spread of pro-Palestinian and anti-Semitic sentiments on U.S. college campuses, is interpreted as officially signaling its intention to strengthen ideological screening.

The Donald Trump administration has instructed all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to completely suspend student visa interviews. This is a preliminary measure to mandate social media (SNS) screening for foreign students. The Trump administration, which has raised concerns about the spread of pro-Palestinian and anti-Semitic sentiments on U.S. college campuses, is interpreted as officially signaling its intention to strengthen ideological screening. As a result, it is expected that entry into the United States will become even more difficult for foreign students in the future, and there are concerns that the academic and technological competitiveness the U.S. has built by attracting outstanding talent from around the world could be weakened.

According to U.S. political news outlet Politico and Bloomberg News on the 27th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered all U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to suspend student visa interviews, describing it as "a measure to prepare for the introduction of enhanced SNS screening and verification procedures." In this regard, Politico reported that the U.S. government is considering making SNS screening mandatory for student visa applicants.

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Secretary Rubio stated, "This measure takes effect immediately," and added, "No further student (F) or exchange visitor (J) visa interviews should be conducted until additional guidance is issued."

The official notice sent by Secretary Rubio to all U.S. diplomatic missions specified that the F, M, and J visa categories would be affected by the suspension. The F visa is for students who wish to study at U.S. universities or attend language training programs. The M visa is for those seeking vocational training, and the J visa is for exchange visitors and students participating in educational, artistic, or scientific exchange programs.

This measure is based on the Trump administration's assessment that international students could threaten U.S. national security or promote anti-Semitism. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Trump administration has expressed strong concerns about the spread of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. campuses and the participation of international students, and has strengthened visa screening. The administration has also canceled the visas of many international students and researchers involved in anti-Israel activities. In March, Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by federal immigration authorities after it was revealed that she had co-authored a column with a pro-Palestinian stance in the university newspaper a year earlier, though she was later released.

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The Trump administration is now pursuing a plan to make it mandatory for all international students seeking entry into the U.S. to have their SNS account content screened during the visa interview process. This is widely seen as an attempt to institutionalize ideological screening in practice.

This measure goes beyond simply tightening visa screening requirements and demonstrates intensifying conflict between the White House and U.S. universities. The conflict, initially sparked by issues of anti-Semitism and progressive tendencies at a few elite private universities such as Harvard and Columbia, is now expanding into a broad attack on the overall role of U.S. higher education. Previously, the Trump administration froze $3 billion in federal aid to Harvard University and revoked its eligibility to enroll international students. The administration is also moving to terminate an existing $100 million federal contract with Harvard.

According to Bloomberg News, international students account for 5.9% of the total 19 million students in U.S. higher education institutions. As of 2023-2024, 1.1 million foreign students have entered the United States.

The influx of international students focused on STEM fields has played a key role in maintaining the United States' technological innovation and competitiveness, leading to concerns that this measure could actually weaken national competitiveness. Getty Images Bank

According to Bloomberg News, international students account for 5.9% of the total 19 million students in U.S. higher education institutions. As of 2023-2024, 1.1 million foreign students have entered the United States. By nationality, the largest groups were from India and China, and most of these students majored in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Mathematics and computer science majors accounted for 25%, the largest share, followed by engineering majors at 20%. Since the influx of international students has been concentrated in STEM fields and has played a key role in maintaining U.S. technological innovation and competitiveness, there are concerns that this measure could actually weaken national competitiveness.

Kimberly Clausing, chair professor of tax law and policy at UCLA School of Law, recently warned in an interview, "President Trump is diminishing the appeal of the U.S. as a country to visit, study, and work in," adding, "By failing to attract global talent, the U.S. is threatening the core sources of its innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth."

With the U.S. government temporarily suspending student visa interviews, delays are expected in the visa issuance process for students, professors, and researchers seeking to enter the U.S. for the time being. If SNS screening is made mandatory in the future, visa issuance requirements are expected to become even stricter.

Politico predicted, "If the administration implements this plan, the processing of student visas could be severely delayed," and added, "This could deal a significant blow to many universities that rely heavily on foreign students for funding."