Athira Sethu
Kochi, 28 May 2025
The United States has suspended all new student visa interviews globally. That is, students cannot book new appointments to get a visa at present. But already booked appointments will still take place as scheduled.
This is done because the US government is looking to establish stronger regulations. They are going to scrutinize foreign students’ social media profiles more thoroughly. This move is being made to guard national security and monitor more closely who is entering the nation.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, issued a formal message to embassies globally. In the message, he indicated that no new appointments should be made for student (F and M) or exchange visitor (J) visas until further instructions are issued.
Rubio and his colleagues in the Trump administration feel that some students are not only coming to study but also to participate in protests and create havoc. For instance, Rubio mentioned a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University named Rümeysa Öztürk, who was arrested after penning an article defending the people in Gaza. Though eventually released, Rubio cited her example to persuade that students aspiring to participate in demonstrations or violating the law must not be issued visas.
Rubio explained, “If an individual wishes to enter this country as a student and intends to participate in protests, destroy school property, or get into trouble, we will not admit them.
This freeze of the visa follows other government moves. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently attempted to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students, but a judge prevented that attempt. The government also threatened to revoke federal contracts with Harvard totaling nearly $100 million. President Trump even stated he could remove grant money worth billions of dollars from the university.
The new visa regulations have caused concern for many students globally who wish to study in the US. Details about the new regulations are due to be released soon.
