Washington [US], May 30: The US State Department said on May 29 that the suspension of the student visa process for international students will be temporary, while the department increases its scrutiny of applicants' social media activities.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce encouraged international students to continue scheduling their US student visa interviews , saying: "I would not recommend doing so if this was going to go on for weeks or months."
"I can tell you that (the resumption of the review process) will happen sooner than expected," Reuters quoted spokesman Bruce as saying on May 30.
On May 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed US embassies and consulates worldwide to stop scheduling interviews for student visas, pending a new process involving screening applicants' social media posts.
Reuters quoted the content of a telegram Mr. Rubio sent to US diplomatic missions around the world saying that there would be new instructions on checking applicants' social media activities in the coming days.
Spokesperson Bruce said that prospective and interested students can start checking online again to find out when appointments are available again.
"There may be some delays at the moment, and I am asked to encourage people to check online regularly to see when there are openings," Ms Bruce said.
The new information was released a day after Secretary of State Rubio announced that the US would begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper