The Trump administration demanded from all the American embassies that they suspend the interviews for student and exchange visas until further notice. This directive, transmitted Tuesday via a state Department cable, is part of a broader strategy aimed at establishing systematic control of social networks for all international applicants.
This frost could considerably delay visa treatment, potentially affecting thousands of Moroccan students wishing to continue their studies in the United States.
The new policy expands the measures introduced in March, when American consular agents were responsible for carrying out compulsory social networks checks for students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses. Agents must now capture and archive the publications they deem “derogatory”, even if these are then deleted.
From now on, “all” the applicants of student visa, whether politically active or not, will be subject to a control of social networks. Their publications, shares and comments on platforms like Instagram, X and Tiktok will be examined to detect possible “national security threats”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently informed his colleagues that the State Department had “likely thousands” of visas since the March Directive.
It should be recalled that there are more than a million foreign students in the United States, contributing nearly $ 43.8 billion to the American economy and supporting more than 378,000 jobs in 2023-2024, according to the Association of International Educators (NAFSA).
