630, 000 Nigerian, Indian, Chinese Students in Limbo As US Halts Student Visa Interviews

The New Diplomat
Writer

Ad

OPEC Rejects Media Reports of Major Output Hike Ahead of G8 Meet

OPEC has slammed the brake on speculation, flatly rejecting media reports that the G8 is preparing to hike crude oil production by half a million barrels per day. In a statement from Vienna on Tuesday, the OPEC Secretariat called the claims “wholly inaccurate and misleading,” stressing that discussions among ministers for the upcoming meeting haven’t…

Ranked: Countries Losing the Most (and Least) from Trump’s Tariffs

Trump’s tariffs are hitting all of America’s major trading partners. But in U.S. trade, what matters isn’t just the tariffs a country faces—it’s how they stack up against competitors. This visualization, made with the Hinrich Foundation, shows which countries are losing the most, and the least, from Trump’s tariffs. The data seen here is sourced from…

Emergency in Rivers: Romancing impunity?, By Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa 

By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN “I urge every Nigerian home and abroad to try and live within the confines of the law of the land and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If we are able to do just that, we will be sure of ensuring that peace and unity reign in the country.…

Ad

By Abiola Olawvale

The government of the United States has announced its decision to temporarily stop student visa appointments globally.

This development was announced in a directive issued by the US State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The directive said student visa interviews would be suspended, pending the implementation of expanded social media vetting protocols.

In the directive, the categories of visas affected are F, M, and J visas

“Effective immediately… consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued,” the directive reads.

The New Diplomat reports that this policy shift could disrupt the academic aspirations of thousands of Nigerian students planning to study in American universities.

This is as Nigeria is one of the top countries sending students to the US, with thousands of undergraduates and graduates enrolled across US institutions.

According to the latest data, India has the largest number of international students enrollment in the United States with 331, 602 in 2023/2024 academic session. This was followed by China with 277,398 students. Nigeria, on the other hand, recorded 20, 029 number of its nationals registered as international students in the United States for 2023/2024 academic session.

According to experts, the total number of international students from these three countries might likely increase in the current academic year. This implies more than 630,000 potential students might be affected under the current halt in visa interviews.

This latest directive adds to a series of measures by the administration of US President Donald Trump aimed at tightening the screening process for international students.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp