In most cases, international students and scholars have been able to enter the U.S. Port of Entry (POE) without delay after a primary (or basic) inspection. However, if the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the POE cannot quickly verify your eligibility for admission to the United States, you may be directed to an interview area known as “secondary inspection.”
It is now possible at most US embassies and consulates to make an appointment for an interview for an F or J visa. However, the expanded screening that is now required will lengthen the time between the visa interview and the issuance of the visa.
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The Department of State has announced that scheduling of F and J visa application appointments will resume soon. Applicants should check the relevant embassy or consulate website for appointment availability.
On June 4, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation titled: Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats. The proclamation will become effective at 12:01 am Eastern Daylight Time on June 9, 2025.
On May 28, the Department of State announced plans to revoke visas for some Chinese students, including those with "connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." "Critical fields" were not identified in the announcement. The State Department also announced plans to revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.
For many years, institutions that host J-1 Exchange Visitors have been required to report serious situations involving J-1/J-2 exchange visitors to the Department of State. J-1 Exchange Visitors at U-M include both J-1 students and J-1 scholars.
Media outlets are reporting that the U.S. Department of State has temporarily paused making new visa appointments available for F and J students and scholars until it issues further guidance on an expansion of social media screening and vetting of student and scholar visa applicants. Reports say this pause does not affect those who have already scheduled interviews.
The University of Michigan has not received an official announcement about this from the State Department.
In mid-May, the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program began to send some F-1 students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) a letter titled “Student and Exchange Visitor Program: Notice of Failure to Report Optional Practical Training Employer and Exceeding Permissible Period of Unemployment." This letter advises students they’ve “been participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT) for more than 90 days but have not reported any employer information.” The notice states: “If your SEVIS record is not updated within 15 days of the date of this notice, SEVP w