Prime Highlights :

• The U.S. State Department has temporarily suspended student visa interviews, potentially derailing thousands of international students’ 2025–26 plans.
• The move, originally targeted at Harvard applicants, may grow nationwide and has drawn criticism from top U.S. education institutions.

Key Facts :

• The freeze on visa interviews started on May 27, 2025, to extend social media screening for student applicants.
• Higher education institutions caution that the policy can harm the reputation of the U.S. as a leading place to study.

Important Background :

In a decision that has caused widespread alarm among leaders in higher education, the U.S. Department of State instituted a freeze on new student visa interviews from May 27, 2025. The policy is one of a fresh strategy to step up social media background checks on applicants, which initially debuted as a pilot initiative directed at potential students seeking admission to Harvard University. The aim, it was claimed, was to stop the entry of those displaying online conduct considered antisemitic or harmful.

This sudden change in visa processing protocols has been criticized by leading academic institutions. The American Council on Education (ACE), supported by 38 leading U.S. educational institutions, wrote an open letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting action at the earliest. The letter highlights the critical role international students play in U.S. campuses and the economy, while warning that further delays could lead to students pursuing opportunities elsewhere.

The uncertainty has already impacted international applicants, several of whom had visa interviews canceled or delayed without notification on rescheduling. Some students have succeeded in getting visas amid the freeze, but others are experiencing anxiety about if they can start their academic programs as intended during the next fall semester.

In anticipation of the 2025–26 academic year, educational leaders are calling on the federal government to finalize and enact any new vetting processes as quickly as possible. They call for efficient and clear processes that will serve to safeguard national interests while keeping the United States in its place of global leadership as a higher education nation. Inaction concerning the freeze would affect enrollment, institutional budgets, and foreign academic collaborations.