THE United States (US) government has temporarily suspended scheduling of new interviews for student and exchange visas, a move that may impact thousands of Nigerian students hoping to study in America.
According to a report by Politico, the decision is part of a wider plan by the US to expand its social media screening and vetting procedures for prospective students.
Politico reported that a diplomatic cable from the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, instructed consular sections to halt new appointments for F, M, and J visas until further notice.
However, the cable clarified that interviews already booked would proceed as scheduled, meaning students with existing appointments are not affected.
The cable, dated Tuesday, May 27, reads: “Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued.”
This development comes as a major blow to Nigerian students, who make up a significant portion of international students in the US. Nigeria ranks as Africa’s leading source of international students and 7th globally.
According to the 2024 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, Nigerian student enrollment at US colleges and universities rose to 20,029 in the 2023/2024 academic year, marking a 13.5 per cent increase from the previous year.
The sudden halt in visa processing followed earlier signals from Rubio, who in March, 2025, had expressed concerns about students allegedly using American universities for activism instead of academics.
The US Secretary of State cited the case of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student, who was arrested and later released on bail after writing an op-ed in support of Gazans during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
This development was also on the heels of the US government revoking Harvard rights to enrol foreign students effective immediately.
The President Donald Trump’s administration, through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), had on Thursday, May 22, accused Harvard of refusing to comply with requests for records involving nonimmigrant students, ranging from disciplinary records to protest-related footage spanning the past five years.
The DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem, alleged that Harvard had created an unsafe campus environment that was hostile to Jewish students, promoted pro-Hamas sympathies, and enforced racist diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
She stressed that as a result, the university had forfeited the privilege of enrolling international students.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M