words per minute
21
aelovy
00:00
Speed
We begin today with a new policy for international students who want to further their education in the United States.
According to official messages seen by CNN journalists, the State Department is pausing all new appointments to apply for a student visa.
A student visa is a legal document that allows people to enter a foreign country temporarily so they can pursue education, language immersion, or vocational training.
Receiving the visa typically requires verification of the program of study and a background check.
But the State Department now says it wants international students to go through an extensive social media screening as well.
Embassies have asked applicants to submit profile links in the past, alleging they were checking for hate speech against certain religious groups, but it's unclear what this latest expanded search would be looking for.
If we are deterring, uh, foreign students from coming to study here, then we are depriving ourselves of the benefits that those foreign nationals would bring to the United States after they graduate.
There were more than 1.1 million foreign students in the US during the 2023-2024 school year.
Former embassy officials tell CNN that appointments for student visas are typically prioritized this time of year in preparation for the upcoming fall semester.
Those same officials fear this new policy will slow down the application process.