Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
NEW YORK, May 27 (Xinhua) — The U.S. government has ordered U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to suspend scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants as it considers mandating social media verification for all international students applying to study in the U.S., local media cited a cable dated Tuesday and signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Effective immediately, in preparation for the expansion of mandatory screening and social media verification, consular sections should not add additional student or exchange visa appointment slots until further guidance is issued, which we expect in the coming days,” the cable said.
The telegram does not directly indicate what exactly will be checked on social networks.
The U.S. government has previously imposed some social media screening requirements, mostly aimed at returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. The new move is a significant expansion of previous such measures.
The suspension of interviews could impact thousands of international students and could potentially contribute to a decline in the number of international students at U.S. higher education institutions, local media reported.
The US government has used various regulations to target universities, particularly elite and liberal ones like Harvard University, and accuses them of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus. At the same time, it has carried out an immigration crackdown that has led to the arrest of a number of students. –0–