The directive does not apply to individuals with already scheduled appointments, but all future and un-scheduled matched slots are to be rescinded. The memo states that the forthcoming expansion of social media screening will have “serious ramifications” for how embassies and consulates handle applications.

Tighter Social Media Sieve for Applicants
New government rules are about to make it harder for thousands of international students to come to study in New Zealand The government is poised to start spying on international students, with new social media checks for all student visa applicants on the way. Though details of this screening process have not been made public, it represents a stiffer screening towards individuals aiming to study in the U.S. Generally, foreign students are required to go through an in-person interview at a U.S. embassy in their home nations to be awarded student visas.

The government remains committed to strict entry processes, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said: “We take very seriously the vetting of individuals who come into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that.”

Political friction and educational effects
The move comes amid persistent strain between the Trump administration and the nation’s top universities. President Trump has publicly attacked institutions such as Harvard University, claiming that they were promoting discriminatory admission policies and that anti-Semitism there was festering in the form of pro-Palestinian activism. In a high-profile move last week, the administration stripped Harvard of its authority to accept international students and foreign researchers. That policy was later put on hold by a federal judge.

Colleges have raised alarms about free speech, even as they sound financial ones. Foreign students, who typically pay higher tuition rates, are critical to university finances. At Harvard, nearly a quarter of students are from other countries, highlighting the potential impact of the policy.

The Trump administration has already frozen millions of dollars in federal funding for universities and tried to deport international students — although many of those moves were halted by court orders. The ongoing freeze on visa scheduling and the strategy announced to expand electronic scrutiny could continue to change the way international students interact with American higher education.