US stops interviewing for student visas: Students are "shocked" because they face the risk of failing university entrance exams

Shock, confusion, and anxiety are shared by many Vietnamese students and parents planning to study in the US as the US temporarily stops scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants.

At the same time, having received scholarships from many universities in the US and thinking that he was just waiting to complete the procedures to leave, VNB, a student in Cau Giay district, Hanoi, said he felt shocked when on May 27, the administration of US President Donald Trump asked embassies and consulates around the world to temporarily stop scheduling new visa interviews for foreign students who want to study in the US.

“After many years of preparation and effort, when I was almost at the threshold, the door to studying abroad in the US slammed shut,” this student shared.

Previously, the US banned international student enrollment at the most prestigious university in the country, Harvard University.

Prepared carefully for 3 years, now helpless

Shock, confusion, and anxiety are shared by many Vietnamese students and parents planning to study abroad in the US.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (Hanoi) said that with the desire to study abroad in the US, his child spent three years preparing the application for admission to universities in this country. The journey began when the child was in 10th grade, with a series of strategic goals set such as having good academic performance, taking additional programs to improve foreign language skills, conquering the international SAT certificate with a high score. In addition, he had to diligently participate in extracurricular activities, participate in volunteer programs, scientific research, participate in competitions at home and abroad...

“American universities accept applications from many countries around the world, so you have to invest a lot of time and effort to show your uniqueness and outstanding abilities to compete with other candidates. It is a persistent effort to pursue your dream of studying abroad in the land of the stars and stripes,” Mr. Hung shared.

According to Mr. Hung, with a quality profile, his son applied and was accepted into many universities in many countries, including many prestigious schools with high scholarships, even up to 100%, but he refused to choose a school in the US because his brother had studied abroad in this country.

So at the moment, if you don’t study in the US, you will have no choice. Most universities have already run out of applications and you have to wait until the next application period.

For domestic universities, many schools have also ended the selection period for talented scholarships based on international certificates. Because they decided to study abroad, their children did not invest in studying for the High School Graduation Exam, so their exam scores would only be at a moderate level to pass the graduation exam, unable to compete with other candidates in university admission. Even students from specialized schools would not be able to study in time because there was less than a month left before the exam began.

“Tonight, the whole family had to hold a family meeting to help my son stabilize his mind and plan for the future. I hope this is just a temporary pause to adjust the visa process for international students in the US,” said Mr. Hung.

The US attracts the attention of many students and parents because it has many of the world's top universities. (Photo: Pham Mai/Vietnam+)

For families who have already applied for a visa, the anxiety and confusion have not subsided. “The sudden change in policy by the US government has made me feel uneasy about my child’s journey ahead, as he will be alone in the US for 4 years,” one parent shared. According to this parent, the US is one of the countries with high tuition, accommodation and living costs, so spending a large amount of money with risks is a problem that every parent must consider.

What should students do?

Worried, worried, and confused, these days, study abroad consulting companies receive many questions from parents and students. Ms. Pham Thai Quy, representative of Duc Anh Study Abroad Consulting Company (Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi) said that the US is a study abroad destination chosen by many students and parents in their study abroad journey, especially students with excellent achievements because there are many top schools in the world such as Harvard, Stanford, Ivy League schools...

However, Ms. Thai said that in the current context, parents should consider expanding the list of countries to study abroad. For students who are still determined to pursue their dream of studying in the US, they must wait and update information on the next move of the US Government.

Representatives of IDP Education advise candidates to avoid posting political content and to check and review public content on personal social media accounts.

In addition, candidates should continue to prepare all documents and be ready to make an appointment as soon as the system reopens.

Representatives of study abroad consulting centers also said that they always accompany students and parents to provide timely, accurate, and objective information and support procedural issues as soon as possible.

Source: VNP

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/my-dung-phong-van-thi-thuc-du-hoc-hoc-sinh-soc-vi-doi-mat-voi-nguy-co-truot-dai-hoc-20250528213233455.htm