Student Visa Delays Over Social Media Check

According to an internal letter that The Washington Post was able to get, the State Department suspended the visa appointments for international students on Tuesday while it considers extending its policies for checking applicants’ social media accounts. The cable informed agency staff that “consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (E, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued,” which will occur in the coming days, in anticipation of an expansion of required social media screening and vetting.  The availability of unclaimed visa appointment periods “should be immediately removed.”  Politico was the first to report on the document.  The Post received confirmation from a senior State Department official that the cable regarding the stoppage of visa processing was accurate.
 

Source: The Washington post