The Trump administration has temporarily halted new student visa appointments worldwide, impacting Ghanaian students among others.
This directive, issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aims to enhance national security through expanded social media vetting of visa applicants.
The pause will remain in effect until further guidance is issued. Students applying for F (academic students), M (vocational students), and J (exchange visitors) visas will face delays.
The decision comes amid growing tension between the Trump administration and top U.S. universities over issues like pro-Palestinian protests and alleged antisemitism on campus
Meanwhile, students with existing appointments who have scheduled interviews can proceed as planned.
It is expected that consular officers review applicants’ online activity, saving screenshots of “potentially derogatory” posts, which may lead to visa denial. Hundreds of Ghanaian students who enroll in American universities annually may face challenges due to this directive.
According to Secretary of State Rubio, the new rules are designed to prevent individuals promoting extremism or anti-American values which spark national security concerns.
A spokesperson for the State Department, Tammy Bruce, defended the decision, stating: “We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that.”
President Trump has accused several elite institutions of having discriminatory admission policies and promoting anti-Israel sentiments.
The administration has previously taken aggressive steps against universities, including suspending the visas of some international students and cutting funding to certain institutions—moves that U.S. courts have occasionally blocked.
Harvard University, which has a large population of international students (over 25%), has been a primary target. The Trump administration recently tried to bar Harvard from enrolling foreign students or hosting visiting researchers, but the decision was blocked by a federal judge.
If these stricter visa measures are allowed to continue, they could pose serious challenges for Ghanaian students and others from around the world planning to pursue higher education in the U.S.
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