WASHINGTON: The United States has clarified that the current halt in student visa processing is temporary.
The State Department has reassured international students that appointments for visas are expected to resume shortly, even as new regulations regarding social media monitoring are being formulated.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce advised prospective students to pursue scheduling their visa appointments, stating, “I wouldn’t suggest this if it were going to take weeks or months.”
She added, “I believe we can expect this to happen sooner rather than later,” while speaking with reporters.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio mandated that embassies and consulates pause student visa appointment scheduling until new guidelines for social media examination are released.
This decision is part of a series of confrontations regarding education from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has revoked thousands of visas, attempted to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students, and promised aggressive visa cancellations for Chinese nationals.
Rubio has previously revoked the visas of multiple students who participated in protests critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, citing a seldom-used law that allows for the removal of individuals acting against US foreign policy interests.
In a communication to diplomatic missions on Tuesday, Rubio indicated that new guidance on social media screening would be provided in the coming days.
Bruce further encouraged prospective students to regularly check online for available appointment slots.
“Currently, there might be some delays, and I’ve been advised to tell people to keep checking for when those slots become available,” she remarked.
