The US administration temporarily halted processing student visas, following protests at Harvard University due to continued Trump-era education budget restrictions.
The halt applies to new student visa applications by foreign students, especially schools with federal research grants, officials stated. The move is part of a broader review of immigration and education policies under new instructions.
The action sparked outrage following protests by Harvard and other Ivy League students demanding that President Trump’s budget reductions to public education and research efforts be reversed. The protesters argued that the reductions harmed poor students and damage the country’s academic standing.
Banners were held aloft, and slogans shouted by dozens of demonstrators outside the university buildings. They called on the present government to restore funding and protect access by students, including foreign students.
Harvard administrators suggested the visa freeze could harm its foreign students coming in and damage the school’s international relationships. In a public statement, they urged the government to reconsider the action and accelerate visa processing of already accepted scholars to US programmes.
Government spokesmen say the suspension is only temporary but have not specified a date for ending it. They said visa adjudications are being made more rigorous to make sure institutions receiving public funds are fully compliant with new rules.
The policy change is already affecting students in many countries, including Nigeria, India, China, and Brazil, where students are facing delays and cancellations.
Students who want to return to classes this fall maintain that the new development is sending them into panic and into the air. Some are actually thinking about postponing entry or transferring to universities in Canada or Europe.
Education observers caution the action may result in a decline in the number of international students who enroll, sending billions of dollars annually into the US economy.
