U.S. President Donald Trump has directed American embassies around the world to halt new appointments for student visa interviews.
According to reports the Trump administration’s halts on new student visa appointments are part of efforts to increase social media background checks for applicants.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a memo sent to U.S. embassies and consulates, stated that the pause will remain in effect “until further guidance is issued.”
“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued,” Rubio wrote.
U.S. media reports reveal the new directive affects those applying for student and foreign exchange visas and could significantly impact visa processing timelines.
Nonetheless, students who already have scheduled appointments will not be affected and may proceed with their interviews.
This new Trump administration directive will affect many Ghanaian students hoping to study in the United States.
Hundreds of Ghanaian students enrol in American universities each year contributing to a long-standing academic and cultural exchange between the two countries.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s memo also emphasised that the U.S. is preparing to expand its vetting process to include rigorous checks on applicants’ social media activity but did not specify what kind of content would be flagged during this examination.
“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”, Tammy Bruce a spokesperson for the State Department stated.
It will be recalled the Trump administration recently tried to ban Harvard from enrolling foreign students or hosting visiting researchers, but the decision was blocked by a federal judge.
