Foreign students seeking to study in the United States may now face social media scrutiny as part of a new policy introduced under the Donald Trump administration.
According to POLITICO, the policy details were revealed in a statement signed on Tuesday.
To accommodate the upcoming vetting process, U.S. embassies and consulates have been instructed to temporarily suspend the scheduling of new interviews for student visa applicants.
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This development could significantly impact international students—particularly from Africa, including a large number of Nigerians—who pursue educational opportunities in the U.S. It may also affect American universities that rely on the enrollment of foreign students for a substantial portion of their income.
The directive was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“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 septel, which we anticipate in the coming days,” according to the statement.
The term “Septel” is short for “separate telegram” in diplomatic communication.
This move follows the recent revocation of visas for several international students, with no official reasons provided.
Previously, the Trump administration had enforced social media screening protocols, mainly targeting students returning to the U.S. who had taken part in protests against Israeli actions in Gaza.
While the latest order does not clearly define how social media checks will be carried out, it reinforces earlier executive mandates focused on combating terrorism and antisemitism.
Some of these enforcement efforts have notably affected institutions like Harvard University, which is currently engaged in a financial dispute with the federal government.
