Trump Bans New Visas

A new State Department cable has directed U.S. consular sections to stop scheduling additional student and exchange visitor visa appointments specifically for F, M, and J visa categories effective immediately. The pause is meant to prepare for the expansion of required social media screening and vetting. The cable noted that more detailed guidance will be issued soon via a separate communication, a “septel” in State Department terminology.

While the administration had already implemented limited social media screening protocols, those earlier efforts were mostly focused on returning international students who may have participated in protests critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The latest directive signals a broader and more aggressive phase of scrutiny, though it does not explicitly outline the specific content that would trigger additional vetting. It references executive orders aimed at combating terrorism and antisemitism, suggesting those will guide the criteria.

Within the State Department, officials have privately expressed growing frustration about the ambiguity surrounding earlier guidance. There has been uncertainty over how to apply these policies such as whether a student posting an image of a Palestinian flag on their social media could become grounds for visa delays or denial. The lack of clarity has left many in the diplomatic corps uneasy about enforcement and the potential for overreach.

This move comes amid a wider campaign by the administration to exert pressure on universities it views as politically hostile. Elite institutions like Harvard have been accused of fostering antisemitism, and immigration enforcement has increasingly been used as a tool to challenge those campuses. As part of this broader effort, student visa policies are now being weaponized, and social media activity is emerging as a new front for surveillance and restriction.

Despite mounting concern, State Department spokespeople have not responded to requests for comment about the policy shift. The higher education community, already under strain, has reacted with frustration, as the new restrictions are expected to complicate international student enrollment and further damage the perception of the U.S. as a welcoming place for global academic talent.