NAIROBI, Kenya — The Trump administration has officially reopened student visa appointments — but there’s a twist, and it’s wrapped in algorithms and online footprints.
In a cable dated June 18 and dispatched to U.S. embassies worldwide, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a sweeping expansion of digital surveillance for all student and exchange visitor applicants.
The message was clear: applicants who show signs of “hostile attitudes” toward American culture, government, or institutions may be denied entry.
That’s not all. Consular officers are now authorized to ask applicants to make all their social media profiles public — and to consider limited access as a red flag.
“If you find an applicant endorsing Hamas or similar activities, that may justify a visa denial,” the cable reads. And yes, that includes content that officers unearth using Google or any “appropriate search engine.”
This directive, first reported by Free Press, is the latest in the Trump administration’s increasingly heavy-handed approach to foreign student vetting, particularly amid tensions around Israel’s war in Gaza.
Rubio, now Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser claims to have revoked hundreds — possibly thousands — of visas for foreign students involved in what he calls “anti-American activities,” including public criticism of Israel and vocal support for Palestinians.
This latest move resurrects student visa appointments after a brief pause announced on May 27, citing the need to expand vetting procedures. But if you’re imagining embassies rushing to fill interview slots — think again.
The State Department is warning that with more extensive vetting comes more bureaucracy. “Posts may need to schedule fewer FMJ cases than they did previously,” the cable cautions, referring to student (F), vocational (M), and exchange (J) visas.
Priority will now be given to foreign doctors in medical exchange programs and students attending U.S. universities where international enrollment is below 15%.
That excludes schools like Harvard, where nearly 27% of the student body is international — and which just so happens to be on the Trump administration’s naughty list after its funding was frozen.
The broader implications? More delays. More denials. And possibly, more international students thinking twice before applying to U.S. universities.
