"The backlog in visa appointments dates to the Trump administration's pause on all student visa interviews in late May, after which the government began mandating social media reviews for all F-1 visa applicants. Some experts argue that the mandatory social media reviews have also extended the visa process by adding more responsibilities to the workload of consulate staff. Since then, experts have speculated about how significant the drop in international student enrollment will be this fall."
"At the University of Maryland Baltimore County, a midsize public university that has a student body composed of about 15 percent international students, international Ph.D. and undergraduate students appear to be largely unaffected by visa issues. But the rate of visa issuance for master's students is only about half what it has been in previous years, according to David Di Maria, UMBC's vice provost for global engagement."
U.S. student visa appointment backlogs began after a late-May pause on all student visa interviews and the introduction of mandatory social media reviews for all F-1 applicants, increasing consulate workloads and slowing processing. At the University of Maryland Baltimore County, international Ph.D. and undergraduate students have been largely unaffected, but master's student visa issuance is about half previous years. Most affected master's students come from India, which currently has minimal visa appointments available. The appointment shortages and higher denial rates have left many prospective students uncertain about attending U.S. colleges this fall. NAFSA projected a significant decline in international enrollment for the term.
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