Trump administration orders extra vetting of all Harvard-bound visa applicants

To help identify applicants with potential histories of anti-Semitic behaviour, consular officers have been instructed to assess social media activity. If applicants’ accounts are private, officers are directed to question their credibility and request that the accounts be made public.

Pause on new student visa interviews

Rubio on Tuesday ordered embassies and consulates to pause scheduling appointments for student visas pending new guidelines on checking applicants’ social media postings. The State Department has already revoked visas for a large number of students who led demonstrations critical of Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

A State Department message sent on Tuesday said: “Consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued.” The instruction applies to student and exchange visas, which many foreign students need to study in the US.

In his cable, Rubio also said that the new guidance on social media vetting would be issued in the “coming days.”

The move follows other measures targeting academic immigration, including halting appointments for student and exchange visitor visas, and a directive to revoke visas of Chinese students with Communist Party links.

Crackdown on Harvard

The Trump administration has intensified its campaign against Harvard University, signalling a broader strategy to pressure the elite institution amid ongoing culture war battles over academia, immigration, and alleged political bias.

Recent actions include freezing billions of dollars in federal grants, threatening to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status, and launching investigations into its hiring practices. Officials have accused Harvard of possible discrimination against white, Asian, male, or straight candidates, prompting a federal inquiry.

In one of the most severe moves, the administration recently attempted to strip Harvard of its ability to enrol foreign students — a decision that a federal judge swiftly blocked.