US government stops student visa: warning for German applicants!

US government stops student visa: warning for German applicants!

USA - The US government temporarily stopped the awarding of student visa for foreign students and Visa for exchange programs on May 27, 2025. This affects Visa categories F, M and J, which are used for different types of study and exchange programs. According to op-online.de has.

The categories in particular are affected: the J visa concerns au pairs, interns, exchange students, exchange scientists and research scholars. The F visa is intended for students and students at universities, universities and other educational institutions, while the M visa is intended for applicants for vocational or non-academic schools. Appointments already agreed for visa applications remain for the time being, so that affected applicants are not affected.

review of the applicant

A reason for the stop of the visa allocation is a more planned review of the online activities of the applicants. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that students from China in particular should be checked stricter. This step is followed by previous exams that affected students who had participated in Pro-Palestinian protests.

In addition, Harvard University is under pressure to no longer accept international students, since the Trump government refers it as an “anti-Semitic, left-wing extremist”. These allegations make the university in the middle of the discussion about international knowledge exchange. University associations in Germany criticize the visa stop and see it as an attack on freedom of science and international exchange.

reactions and outlook

The President of the German University Association, Lambert T. Koch, expresses concern about the effects of the visa stop on German students who want to take part in exchange programs. Interested parties are advised to inform themselves about current regulations and developments at the International Office of their university or at funding organizations.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) continues to observe the situation and is waiting for official communications from the US government. A student visa is essential for international students who plan to study in the United States. The most important visa categories and their conditions are explained in detail on the official website of the US government. An overview of the Visa species: USA.Gov informs about the F-1 visa for academic studies, the M-1 visa for professional studies and the J-1 visa for exchange students.