The U.S. Department of State noted that it will provide additional information within a few days regarding the suspension of visa interviews for students and exchange visitors wishing to study or train in the U.S.
On the 3rd (local time), Tammy Bruce, the Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, responded to a question during a briefing about whether the ‘student and exchange visitor visa application process is still on hold’ by saying, ‘Yes,’ and added, ‘We will provide additional information by the end of this weekend.’
She went on to say about potential delays in processing due to the measure, ‘There have been no cases of (confirmed) reservations being canceled,’ and ‘Once the situation normalizes, reservations (for interviews) will again be possible. When the online booking service is restored, the process will advance quite quickly.’
Earlier, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, directed diplomatic missions to suspend additional scheduling of visa interviews for students and exchange visitors intending to study in the U.S. on the 27th. As a result, new visa interview applications for those seeking F, M, or J visas are currently suspended.
The visa issuance process for these international students aims to expand social media (SNS) scrutiny of students with anti-Semitic ideologies to block them from studying in the U.S.
The Donald Trump administration has been strengthening SNS scrutiny of foreign students and researchers who participated in protests against anti-Semitism and pro-Palestinian demonstrations at U.S. universities since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, and is canceling visas en masse.