Trump Government Halts Student US Visa Appointments
- The US has ordered embassies to temporarily stop scheduling new student visa appointments
- The US plans to intensify the screening of visa applicants by even including social media checks
- In 2024, the number of Ghanaian students studying in the US increased from 6,468 in 2023 to 9,394
US President Donald Trump's administration has ordered embassies to stop scheduling appointments for student visas.
It is preparing to expand social media vetting of such applicants.
Source: Getty Images
Ghanaians are expected to be significantly affected given the number who travel to the US for studies. In 2024, the number of students from the country studying in the US increased from 6,468 to 9,394.
In a copy of a memo sent to diplomatic posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said social media vetting would be stepped up for student and foreign exchange visas, which would have 'significant implications' for embassies and consulates.
This comes amid friction between America's top universities, which he believes are too left-wing. Trump has said some of them have enabled anti-semitism on campus and were upholding discriminatory admissions policies.
The State Department memo, according to CBS News, directed US embassies on Tuesday to remove any unfilled appointments from their calendars for students seeking visas, but said those with appointments already scheduled could proceed.
The State Department is also preparing for the social media screening and vetting for student visas.
In April, the Department of Homeland Security said it would screen some visa applicants, including people seeking student visas, for perceived anti-semitic activity.
Record number travelling to US for school
In 2024, the US Embassy announced that Ghana was ranked number 18 among countries with students in the country.
For the second year in a row, the West African nation ranked among the top 25 countries globally sending students to the US.
The embassy cited data from the Open Doors Report, published annually by the Institute of International Education.
Source: Getty Images
Ghanaians in graduate degree programs totalled 6,337, representing a 54% increase and making Ghana the ninth-largest sender of graduate students to the United States globally.
Ghanaian students earned about $9.2 million in scholarships to more than 680 schools in the US.
Pre-screening process for US visas
The US Embassy previously rolled out a new pre-screening process for applicants in Ghana starting in September 2024.
All applicants were required to attend an appointment between three and four hours before their visa interview would take place.
The embassy also explained that a document review would be conducted, and applicants will be notified beforehand if any documents were missing.
This development came as the US Embassy in Accra moved to a new visa services provider, resulting in a number of changes.
US opens 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery programme
YEN.com.gh also reported that the US opened registration for the 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery in October 2024.
The visa lottery programme would provide up to 55,000 green cards through a random selection process.
The lottery was targeted at those people born in countries with historically low immigration rates to the US.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
