US halts new student visas: What’s behind the move and who’s at risk?

The Trump administration has ordered a temporary halt to new visa interview appointments for international students planning to study in the United States, a move that could disrupt upcoming academic plans for thousands around the world.

An internal State Department cable, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen by several news agencies, instructs US embassies globally to stop scheduling new interviews for applicants seeking F, M, or J class visas – the primary categories used by foreign students and exchange visitors, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The memo states that the department is preparing to implement expanded screening measures, including enhanced scrutiny of applicants’ social media profiles. “In preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting,” the cable reads, “consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity.”

Although current appointments will proceed as planned, it remains unclear how long the freeze will last or how many students will be affected, particularly those awaiting visa interviews for the autumn 2025 intake.

Impact on international students

The decision comes at a time when the number of international students in US universities has reached a record high. During the 2023–2024 academic year, more than 1.13 million international students were enrolled across US institutions – a 6.6% increase from the previous year, according to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education and the State Department.

Asian students made up over 70% of the total, with India sending the highest number – 331,602 – followed by China with 277,398 and South Korea with 43,149. European students comprised 8% of the cohort.

US universities such as New York University, Northeastern, and Columbia are among those with the highest numbers of international students, while elite institutions like Harvard and Yale also rely heavily on global enrolment. At the University of Rochester, overseas students make up nearly one-third of the student body.

The visa suspension follows a recent decision by the Trump administration to revoke Harvard’s authorisation to enrol international students, fuelling speculation that the current administration is tightening control over higher education institutions perceived to be politically adversarial.

Existing students are also in limbo

The pause raises additional concerns for students already in the US who need to renew their visas mid-programme. While most undergraduate courses last four years, PhD programmes often extend up to eight, necessitating visa renewals. The F-1 visa, typically valid for five years, must be renewed via an application process that requires an in-person embassy interview abroad – a process now potentially disrupted.

Students transitioning from one academic programme to another within the US, such as moving from a bachelor's to a master’s, may also be caught in this administrative limbo.

Security or suppression?

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment directly on the memo but affirmed Washington's commitment to “use every tool” to screen visa applicants. Critics, however, have raised concerns that the move reflects a broader political agenda targeting student activists.

The pause follows high-profile visa revocations, including that of Ranjani Srinivasan, a Columbia University PhD candidate, whose valid visa was cancelled earlier this year. Srinivasan believes she was targeted due to her online expression of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, including sharing critical posts about Israel and signing open letters in support of Palestinian rights.

Though she denied any formal involvement in campus groups and was not present during last April’s encampment protests, her case has stoked fears of ideological profiling. “If supporting the idea of human rights or ending a genocide is equated with supporting Hamas, then anyone in proximity to me, without me having done anything, can just be picked up and made an example of,” she said.

As autumn admissions deadlines loom and campuses prepare to welcome new students, the Trump administration’s latest move risks undermining the US’s long-held reputation as a top global destination for higher education – and may deepen tensions between academia and the state.

By Aghakazim Guliyev