U.S. State Department Orders Pause For New Student Visa Appointments

WORLDWIDE – The U.S. State Department has ordered embassies worldwide to pause new student visa appointments as it expands social media checks on all applicants, according to a diplomatic cable obtained by CNN.

The move, which is part of the Trump administration’s tough stance on student visas, could slow down the process and create backlogs.

Already, hundreds of student visas have been revoked and a recent attempt to block foreign students at Harvard was temporarily halted by a judge.

Scheduled appointments will proceed but no new ones will be added until further notice.

The state department says it’s focused on thorough vetting to protect national security.