US Suspends Student Visa Interviews, Applicants' Social Media Will Be Scrutinized

WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY - The efforts of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to combat antisemitism are leading to a new initiative. The Trump administration is considering requiring all international students applying to study in the U.S. to undergo social media screening.

As part of the preparation for the examination, the federal government has instructed U.S. embassies to halt the scheduling of new student visa interviews. Referring to a report by the BBC, Wednesday (28/5/2025), the order to stop scheduling interviews was issued by the U.S. Department of State.

Through a copy of the memo sent to the embassy on Tuesday (27/5/2025), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the cessation would last until further guidance is issued.

In the memo, the U.S. Department of State directed the U.S. Embassy to cancel any unscheduled interview appointments for international students seeking visas. However, for international students who have already received interview schedules, they may proceed with the process.

The message also stated that the U.S. Department of State requires screening and examination by consulates or embassies of the social media of applicants for student visas and foreign exchange student visas. "Effective immediately, in preparation for the expansion of mandatory social media screening and examination, the consular section must not increase the capacity for student or exchange visitor visa interview appointments (F, M, and J) until further guidance is issued," the memo read, referring to a report by Politico.

In accordance with the procedure, international students wishing to study in the United States are required to schedule a visa interview at the American Embassy in their home country. The interview is a step that must be completed before the visa is approved.

"We take the process of examining who comes into this country very seriously, and we will continue to do so," said U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce to reporters on Tuesday. "We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to assess who is coming here, whether they are students or not," Bruce stated.

The US government had previously implemented a number of social media screening requirements. However, most of the screenings were aimed at students returning to the US, who may have participated in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. The cessation of these interviews represents the latest crackdown by the Trump administration on international students.

The higher education community in the United States, including NAFSA, an association of international educators, condemned the move. NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw stated that the latest order is unfair to students. "International students are not a threat to this country. On the contrary, they are an incredible asset to this country," emphasized Aw.

The temporary suspension of student visa interview scheduling will disrupt the plans of students, dormitories, and student exchange programs. The decline in international student enrollment may adversely affect the university's budget.

Previously, to cover the cuts in federal research funding, several universities chose to accept more international students who pay full tuition fees.

The effort to halt this is related to Trump's policy of revoking visas for pro-Palestinian student activists. According to the White House, this move is part of the effort to combat antisemitism on campus.

The White House accused several U.S. universities of failing to protect Jewish students on campus. Conversely, the institutions accused Trump of violating free speech rights.

The Trump administration also targeted several universities, particularly elite institutions such as Harvard. The Trump administration deemed Harvard too liberal and accused it of allowing antisemitism to flourish on its campus.

Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's permit to accept international students. Trump also removed Harvard from the program that allowed it to sponsor foreign students for visas, cut federal funding for the campus, halted the enrollment of international students, and threatened Harvard's tax-exempt status.

Harvard sued the federal government over the decision. The court ordered the federal government not to enforce the decision.

The implementation of various decisions regarding Harvard has left international students at the university, including Indonesian students, in a state of uncertainty. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to closely monitor the developments in U.S. immigration policy, including the ban on Harvard University from accepting foreign students," explained the Director of Citizen Protection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, in a written statement.

According to Judha, the policy has created uncertainty for the fate of 87 international students from Indonesia, as well as for other international students from various countries studying at Harvard University.

"While awaiting the legal lawsuit process by Harvard University, the Indonesian Representative in the United States has established intensive communication with Indonesian students at Harvard University and urged them to remain calm," explained Judha.

The Indonesian representative in the United States is ready to provide consular assistance to affected Indonesian students. The Indonesian government has also expressed its concerns regarding this issue to the United States government.

Furthermore, in the statement, it was mentioned that the Indonesian Government hopes for a solution that does not jeopardize the fate of Indonesian students at Harvard University. Indonesian students in the United States have significantly contributed to the advancement of education and science in the country. (AP)