Prospective foreign students in limbo as Trump halts all visas amid social media scrutiny
Washington D.C.: The Trump administration has ordered U.S. embassies worldwide to halt all student visa processing as it prepares to implement stricter social media vetting for applicants.
A State Department cable obtained by Politico reveals that consular offices must pause scheduling appointments for F, M, and J visas until new screening protocols are finalized. The move comes amid a broader assault on elite universities, with Harvard losing its ability to host international students and facing threats of $3 billion in funding cuts.
The freeze threatens a major U.S. revenue stream—international students contributed $43.8 billion last year, with over 1.1 million enrolled. Harvard, which hosts nearly 7,000 foreign students (31% of its student body), sued the administration after the Department of Homeland Security revoked its visa sponsorship rights. The university warned the decision would "erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body," calling it unconstitutional.
Trump has accused Harvard of antisemitism for tolerating pro-Palestinian protests and demanded lists of foreign students, suggesting some may be "radicalized lunatics."
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His administration also plans to redirect federal contracts from Harvard to trade schools. A federal judge temporarily blocked the visa termination, but the White House vows to appeal.
In the 2023/24 academic year, the United States hosted 1,126,690 international students at its colleges and universities, setting an all-time high and marking a 7% increase from the previous year. International students accounted for about 6% of the total U.S. higher education population.
India became the leading source of international students, with 331,602 enrolled in 2023/24, a 23% increase from the prior year. China was second, with 277,398 students, though this represented a 4% decline from the previous year.
SEVIS data (from the Department of Homeland Security) shows that between March 2024 and March 2025, the total number of international students in the US declined by 11.3%. The decline was especially sharp among Indian students (down nearly 28% year-over-year), and was most pronounced at the master’s level and in language programs.