Around the world, students aiming to the study in US are scrubbing down their social media accounts

Nigerian student Owolabi has been meticulously scrubbing his X feed, deleting tweets and comments about US policies, especially those relating to then President Donald Trump’s 2018 reference to “shithole countries” in Africa.

Owolabi, 23, got a place at the University of New Haven in Connecticut for a master’s degree in cybersecurity this year, but with the Trump administration pausing student visa appointments ahead of new social media vetting guidelines, he is worried.

“I don’t know what to write on Facebook or X now that won’t put me in trouble. It feels like someone is watching my every move,” he said.

Owolabi, who only wanted to be identified by his last name for fear of repercussions, was about to schedule a visa interview at the US embassy in the capital Abuja when he heard about the appointment pause for all applicants.

Around 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa come to the United States every year to study, though China and India send many more.

Around 20,000 Nigerian students went to study at US colleges in 2024 – the highest number from Africa. The United States is a top destination for international students because of the post-degree career opportunities.

In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed embassies to stop scheduling new visa appointments, saying the Trump administration would...

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