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The Trump administration ordered United States embassies and consulates to pause scheduling interviews for student visa applicants, according to a Tuesday cable from Secretary of State Marco Rubio obtained by Politico — potentially disrupting the plans of incoming Harvard students.
The directive was issued as the administration considers whether to require all foreign students applying to study in the U.S. to undergo social media vetting, Politico reported. It instructed embassies and consulates not to add interview capacity until they receive further guidance.
If executed, the move could affect international students admitted to Harvard College’s Class of 2029, as well as other incoming students. After receiving admission to Harvard in December or March, international students apply for student visas from U.S. embassies or consulates in their home countries.
As part of the process, students have to schedule a visa appointment with the embassy or consulate, during which consular officials conduct an interview to determine visa eligibility.
At the time of the pause on student visa applicant interviews, many international admits may still have been in the process of scheduling their appointment. The Harvard International Office advises students on its website to arrange interview appointments “as soon as possible.”
In addition to students seeking F visas, Tuesday’s directive also affects scholars and exchange visitors seeking J visas. It applies to students seeking M visas for vocational training as well.
The State Department’s directive follows a semester where student visa holders have repeatedly faced the possibility that they will lose their status to study at Harvard or ability to return to the U.S. Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which is necessary for the University to enroll international students.
Though the effort was blocked by a federal judge less than two hours after Harvard took the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to court, the relief remains temporary.
Early last month, the Trump administration revoked the visas of 12 Harvard affiliates before they were eventually reinstated on April 28. The reversal came after a Justice Department Lawyer said in federal court that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials were developing a new framework to review student visas.
Spokespeople for Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—Staff writer Samuel A. Church can be reached at samuel.church@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @samuelachurch.
—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.
