Washington: The United States said that the current break in the treatment of students’ visas was only temporary.
The State Department has assured international students that the visa meetings will probably soon resume, even if new rules for verifying social media activities are being prepared.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce encouraged potential students to ask for appointments on the visa, declaring: “I would not recommend that if this is weeks or months.
“I can tell you that this is something that may happen as soon as possible,” she told journalists.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Embassies and Consulates on Tuesday to suspend appointments to plan student visas, pending new directives on verification of publications on the social networks of candidates.
He marks one of the numerous confrontations on education by the administration of President Donald Trump, who revoked thousands of visas, tried to prevent Harvard University from accepting international students and promised to aggressively cancel visas held by Chinese nationals.
Rubio revoked the visas of many students who have directed demonstrations criticizing the offensive of Israel in Gaza, invoking an obscure law which allows the abolition of individuals judged against the American interests of foreign policy.
In a cable to diplomatic missions on Tuesday, Rubio said that new guidelines on social media screening would be published in the “days to come”.
Bruce added that potential students should start checking online for available appointments.
“Right now, there may be some delay, and what I have been told to encourage people to do is check regularly when these spaces open,” she said.
