U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced tightened student visa screening, pausing new interviews and increasing social media checks. This policy shift may delay or block visas for the kevutza bochurim traveling from Eretz Yisroel to learn at 770, creating uncertainty for the upcoming year.
By Anash.org reporter
On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a significant tightening of the student visa process for foreign nationals – something that could have direct ramifications for the kevutza bochurim who travel each year from Eretz Yisroel to learn here at 770.
“We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or public safety,” Rubio stated in an interview last week. “It’s that simple, especially for people who are here as guests. That is what a visa is.”
This statement reflects an intensified policy under the Trump administration requiring deeper scrutiny of visa applicants, including detailed reviews of their social media accounts and backgrounds. These new measures have already led to the revocation or delay of many student visas.
As part of the new policy, all new student visa interviews worldwide have been paused until further notice. Scheduled interviews will proceed, but no new appointments are currently being added, creating uncertainty and delays.
Alongside this pause, the administration is intensifying background checks by reviewing applicants’ social media accounts and other personal information to better identify potential security risks before issuing visas.
Despite critics’ arguments that these measures could deter international students from applying to U.S. institutions, the State Department has yet to clarify when interviews will resume or how the vetting process will operate. This uncertainty complicates visa processing for the kevutza bochurim for the year of 5786, who typically enter the U.S. in the middle of Elul.
Sounds great. We don’t want people coming to our community who are violent and commit crimes, regardless if they wear a hat and jacket.
Go into 770 on any day and talk to the bochurim, see who will be effected. The goyishe media doesn’t stop day and night badmouthing Jews/ Israel, someone growing up on it could indeed believe Jews are evil.
Here is no different.
It is about time. Maybe that will incentivize the hanhala to be more selective before bringing trouble makers to the US.
R”l לא יאומן כי יסופר the Rebbe encouraged kevutzah very much and you have the audacity to say that it’s good just because you don’t like them and there are things that have to be fixed doesn’t mean it’s a did things to cancel it and especially most of kevutzah aren’t like that so I can’t believe a lubavitcher would say that
As a reminder, the comment section is to add context that benefits the leadership, not to express feelings about different people.
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As bochurim don’t have social media, there may be delays at embassy appointments, but this move won’t change who’s accepted.
The Rebbe discouraged the trend that ALL Israeli bochurim should come to kevutzah. The Rebbe’s words hang on the wall in the office of the administrator of 770 yeshiva Rabbi Gluckowski. Perhaps this is the Rebbe’s way of arranging the implementation of his desire through government action.
This is good news in my humble opinion also because it might stop the unfortunate disastrous result of bochurim agreeing with heskem Chabad and ending up in the army instead of yeshiva and kollel and then R”L going to college paid for by the army. והמבין יבין ודי בזה וכדי בזיון ומסיימים בטוב.