On Tuesday, a state department directive ordered US embassies globally to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students while it prepares to implement expanded social media screening for all international visa applicants.
The directive came amid a series of recent policy shifts targeting international students at US universities.
The changes have left many international students who are planning to come to the US for the 2025-2026 academic year scrambling and in limbo.
“Too many international students to count” have inquired about the possibility of transferring to another institution, she said.
Martin said that several current Harvard visa holders have also faced increased scrutiny at airports.
The Trump administration temporarily suspended student visa appointments this week, creating more uncertainty for international students preparing to study in the US this fall.
A State Department directive issued on Tuesday directed US embassies around the world to immediately cease interviewing foreign students for visas while it gets ready to expand social media screening for all foreign visa applicants.
Although previously scheduled interview appointments can still go forward, the announcement caused anxiety among students who have not yet secured interviews. The Guardian interviewed students who were concerned about visa processing delays that might endanger their academic futures, scholarships, on-campus housing, and their ability to begin classes on time.
A 27-year-old student at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom named Oliver Cropley said, “My stomach just dropped.” Cropley is scheduled to spend a year abroad at the University of Kansas starting in August.
The directive coincided with a number of recent changes to US university policies that targeted international students. The Trump administration announced this week that it would adopt stricter scrutiny for all future applicants from China and Hong Kong and concentrate on the visas of students pursuing degrees in “critical fields” and those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
The Department of Homeland Security announced last week that it would immediately prohibit Harvard University from accepting international students, requiring those students to transfer or leave the nation. That attempt was blocked on Thursday by a federal judge, but it’s unclear what will happen in the long run.
Due to the changes, many international students who intend to enroll in the US for the 2025–2026 school year are now in a state of confusion and uncertainty.
According to Cropley, he paid the final administrative fee and all application fees for the US visa last week in order to set up his interview; however, he has not been able to do so or get in touch with anyone at the US embassy.
“I was excited about Kansas. “I adore America, its wildlife, and its culture,” Cropley remarked.
“I feel demoralized,” Cropley remarked. Getting this kind of backlash at this point is stressful enough, and I’m expected to be there on August 4. “.”.
According to him, the scholarship he was given to study in the US is also now in jeopardy because it depends on his ability to travel.
Cropley said he is considering his options while he waits for word from the US embassy. He is asking if he could return to his home university in the UK and finish the year there rather than in the US. However, he stated that “it’s quite late” to choose courses and modules and locate housing.
With no assurance of admission to either university, Cropley remarked, “I’m kind of stuck in between the two different universities.”. It’s basically just a waiting game. “”.
The Guardian was informed by another UK student who was accepted to Harvard for the fall that they were “disbelieving” that the administration was trying to prevent Harvard from accepting international students.
“You have the next five years or so knowing where you’ll be, and then suddenly, overnight, that changes,” they said, speaking anonymously out of concern that their remarks would have an impact on their visa approval.
The student stated that they hoped their visa interview would still proceed because it was already set when the directive was issued.
They stated that the current state of affairs at Harvard feels “extremely precarious” and that the recent actions taken by the Trump administration “raise a lot of uncertainty for the future.”.
They stated, “We might still be able to leave, but that could change at any time.”. It’s also challenging to cope if you’re coming here to work but your thoughts are focused on how grounded you can be and whether things will change. “.”.
They stated that they still intend to enroll at Harvard if they are granted a visa.
Scholars in the US and students preparing to study there were asked by The Guardian last week to discuss their experiences navigating the recent actions of the Trump administration that target higher education. In their responses, over 100 people expressed that they were reevaluating their plans to continue their education in the nation. Fearing consequences, a number of international students who wrote in refused to be interviewed further by the Guardian.
Alfred Williamson, a Harvard student from Wales who is spending the summer in Denmark, told Reuters this week that he is afraid he might not be able to go back to the United States. He remarked, “We’re being used like pawns in the game that we have no control over.”. The conflict between Harvard and the White House is engulfing us, and it feels really dehumanizing. “.”.
Some universities have cautioned enrolled students against spending the summer abroad for fear of being denied entry.
According to the Institute of International Education, over 1 million international students are enrolled in US universities, making up roughly 6% of the country’s total student body. According to Nafsa, foreign students contributed $43 billion to the US economy during the 2023–2024 academic year, and they usually pay two to three times the tuition of domestic students.
Maureen Martin, the director of immigration services at Harvard, wrote in a court filing on Wednesday that the action had caused “profound fear, concern, and confusion” among students and faculty in a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s attempts to ban international students from the university.
Several foreign consulates in the US have contacted the university to ask for clarification on how the policy affects their enrolled nationals, and faculty and administrators have been “inundated” with questions from current international students regarding their status and options, she said.
Many international students, according to Martin, are dealing with “significant emotional distress that is affecting their mental health and making it difficult to focus on their studies.”.
According to her, some people are avoiding graduation ceremonies out of concern for immigration action, and others have canceled their travel plans because they are worried about being denied entry back into the United States. “There are too many international students to count,” she said, asking if they could transfer to another school.
A number of current Harvard visa holders have also been subject to heightened scrutiny at airports, according to Martin.
The Guardian contacted several universities with sizable international student populations for comment. The majority stated they would support their students in any way they could and that they were keeping an eye on the situation.
Renata Nyul, Northeastern University’s vice-president for communications, stated, “We have a strong collection of resources for our incoming and current international students, as well as contingency plans for those who might experience disruptions to their learning.”.
With over 17,000 international students, Arizona State University is “monitoring the situation closely and remains committed to fully supporting all international students in completing their degree programs,” according to a university spokesperson.
