Hanoi, May 30, 2025 – The Europe Today: The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday formally addressed rising concerns over a sudden directive from the United States Government instructing its embassies abroad to halt new visa appointment scheduling for international students, a move that has drawn significant attention from students and parents in Vietnam and globally.
Speaking at the ministry’s regular press briefing in Hanoi, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng stated: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Vietnamese representative missions in the United States are currently working with relevant U.S. authorities to verify and clarify this information.”
Spokesperson Hằng emphasized the timing of the issue, noting that “this is currently the period during which many students from various countries, including Vietnam, are in the process of completing procedures to apply for student visas to pursue studies in the United States, whether through self-funding or scholarship programs.”
“We hope that the interview and application process for student visas for Vietnamese citizens will proceed smoothly so that education continues to serve as a pillar of cooperation in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States,” she added.
The Vietnamese Government’s remarks follow a diplomatic cable issued by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to American embassies and consulates worldwide. The cable stated that the U.S. State Department is reviewing its existing operations and procedures for screening and vetting applicants for student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, J categories). The review is expected to result in expanded social media vetting for all such applicants.
“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity,” the cable read.
Most Vietnamese students intending to study in the U.S. apply for the F-1 visa, which is issued to full-time academic students attending accredited institutions such as colleges, universities, high schools, or language training programs. The J-1 visa applies to individuals participating in exchange or scholarship programs, including the Fulbright Fellowship, while the M-1 visa is issued to students pursuing vocational or technical training.
The ministry also addressed a related concern raised at the press briefing regarding reports from the U.S. about potential restrictions on international student enrollment at Harvard University during the administration of former President Donald Trump. According to the reports, international students studying at Harvard may be required to transfer to other institutions or face expulsion from the United States.
In response, Spokesperson Hằng reiterated Vietnam’s position: “We hope that the United States will continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students, lecturers, scholars, and experts to participate in educational and training programs at prestigious and high-quality universities in the U.S., in line with the Vietnam–U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development.”
