A new US visa requirement
Be careful about working on social media!
The new embassy for student visas (F) was stopped under the US Secretary of State's instructions. Marco Rubio has told embassies around the world to avoid adding any new capacity for interview and fingerprint time and eliminating unplanned appointments from their calendar. This is a temporary action and will continue until the new instructions are issued.
This stop does not include applicants who have booked their interview time before May 28 (June 7, 1404), and predetermined shifts are still valid.
Stop Reasons: Screening through social networks and university pressure
The Trump administration has announced the official reason for the US Embassy's presentation to improve the program "Student Performance on Social Networks". Previously, the Embassy was still presented despite the collection of social network information through the DS-160 form; However, there is no new time until the system is updated.
The program is aimed at screening and confirming the identity of applicants and increasing national security. But there are probably deeper and more political reasons behind this decision. The move coincided with increased disputes between government and large universities such as Harvard and Colombia. Trump does not hide his hostility to colleges that he believes is too leftist and accuses them of inappropriate protest activities on the campus. This stop can be seen as an attempt to increase monitoring of immigrants and pressure universities due to students' political activities.
Consequences of stopping US Embassy time
This decision has many consequences for international students and the US higher education system. In the long run, applicants to the United States will face more strict security investigations, and their online and media activities will be more accurately evaluated.
In the short term, the issuance of a student visa will be stopped until the security inspection systems are updated; Because it is not possible to conduct interviews and fingerprints. This leads to a delay in the start of many students.
On the other hand, US universities provide a significant portion of their budget through attracting international students and will face budget reduction in the long run. This could lead to the weakening of the US position as the hub of higher education in the world, preventing it from attracting global talents.
Vision and Important Tips for Students
Although the government has announced that the embassy's time is temporary and resumed after the new instructions are issued, it is unclear how long the process will take.
In this case, students who have previously embassy time should go as planned for fingerprints and interviews. For other applicants, the pursuit of official news from the State Department and US embassies and new guidelines (probably included in more detail about social media review) will be a top priority. The fate of this policy depends on the results of the legal challenges and future political developments of the United States.
Younes Mahmoudi
I am Younis Mahmoudi, a writer who has been writing for many years in the field of immigration and visa. I have always tried to explain complex and formal immigration information in a simple and understandable language for Persian speakers on the path of immigration. My experience of studying the laws of different countries and talking to those who really go this path has helped me write things that are practical and painful.