The move marks a significant escalation in existing efforts and has already prompted the administration to pause the scheduling of new student visa interviews at US embassies and consular sections worldwide. Washington: The Trump administration is considering a major expansion of its immigration vetting policies by requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo mandatory social media screening, according to a report by Politico, which cited a cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The move marks a significant escalation in existing efforts and has already prompted the administration to pause the scheduling of new student visa interviews at US embassies and consular sections worldwide. Student visa appointments on hold “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 septel, which we anticipate in the coming days,” the cable states. The term “septel” refers to a separate telegram, as commonly used in …