PTC News Desk: US President Donald Trump's administration has ordered a halt on new student visa interviews and exchange visitor visa applicants, with the move being a part of a broader State Department plan to mandate social media vetting for all international students to study in America.

This directive, laid out in a cable obtained by Politico, would mark a broader application of existing vetting procedures to restrict foreign students' entry to American schools and colleges.

"Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued septel, which we anticipate in the coming days," the cable states.

Many State Department officials have complained privately for months that past guidance, for, say, vetting students who may have participated in campus protests, has been vague.

Officials remain uncertain whether specific online content, such as displaying a Palestinian flag, would trigger further review.