The Collective Public Policy Voice of the Exchange Community

47th Presidential Administration

Keep up to date on the latest policy changes from the Trump-Vance Administration and the 119th Congress

The Latest

Daily updates on the legislation, policies, and regulations impacting international exchange programs.

85% of outstanding funding freeze payments received by Alliance members 
As of Friday, March 28, Alliance members have received over 85% of outstanding DOS payments that had been withheld due to the ongoing funding freeze.

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Watch this space for opportunities to show your support for international exchange programs.

Policy Priorities for the Administration

The Alliance recommends that the new Administration make international exchange programs a part of its policy priorities because of the transformative power of exchanges in advancing America’s economic and national security interests.   

Our policy priorities paper outlines its recommendations for the incoming Administration, focusing on five key areas of growth and collaboration.

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Department of State Updates

Department of State Communication: Action Request - Enhanced Screening and Social Media Vetting for Visa Applicants (3/26/2025)
  • The What: On Wednesday, March 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable instructing consular officers to refer certain student and exchange visitor visa applicants for a mandatory social media review. F, J, and M visa applicants that fit one or more of the following criteria will be subject to this enhanced vetting:

1) An applicant who is eligible and that the officer has reason to believe has openly advocated for a designated foreign terrorist organization;
2) An applicant who was previously in the U.S. on an F-1, J-1, or M-1 visa between October 7, 2023 and August 31, 2024; or
3) An applicant whose previous SEVIS record was terminated between October 7, 2023 and now.

  • The Impact: If an applicant is found to have supported terrorist activities or organizations during this review, they will no longer eligible for a visa. The guidance gives wide discretion to consular officers to determine what qualifies as evidence supporting terrorist activity or demonstrating public approval for a terrorist organization. 
Department of State Federal Register Notice: Determination: Foreign Affairs Functions of the United States (3/14/2025)
  • The What: On Friday, March 14, the Department of State published a determination notice that “all efforts to control the status, entry, and exit of people across the borders of the United States constitute a foreign affairs function of the United States” and therefore are covered under the “foreign affairs exception” to the Administrative Procedure Act, which outlines the rulemaking and public notification process.
Department of State Update: Visa Interview Waiver Eligibility (2/18/2025)
  • The What: On Tuesday, February 18, the Department of State updated its policy on the eligibility requirements for a visa interview waiver. The policy is now that J and F visa applicants are eligible for an interview waiver only if they already have a previously issued a J or F visa that expired less than 12 months prior to the new application and are applying for a renewed J or F visa. This is different from the previous policy that provided eligibility for an applicant that had any nonimmigrant visa issued within the last 48 months.   
Department of State Communication: Notification of Temporary 15-Day Pause on Grant Disbursements (2/13/2025)
  • The What: On Thursday, February 13, 2025, the U.S. State Department informed grantees that a temporary 15-day pause on federal funding for all current and future State Department FY25 grant disbursements had gone into effect as of Wednesday, February 12. 
  • The Impact: Distribution of grants for educational and cultural exchange (ECE) programs falls under this pause. 
  • The Latest: As of Friday, March 28, Alliance members have received over 85% of outstanding DOS payments that had been withheld due to the ongoing funding freeze. 
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Nomination: Sarah Rogers
  • The What: On Wednesday, February 12, the White House nominated New York lawyer Sarah Rogers to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy.  
  • The Latest: As of Tuesday, February 11, Rogers’ nomination was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Darren Beattie will remain Acting Under Secretary and Senior Bureau Official of ECA for the time being. 

Executive and Regulatory Actions

Executive Order: Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities (3/20/2025)
  • The What: On Thursday, March 20, President Trump signed an Executive Order ordering the Secretary of Education to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” 
  • The Impact: While an act of Congress would be necessary to completely shut down the department, this EO is another step in the Trump Administration’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education after firing of almost 50% of the department’s staff. Litigation against the EO is expected. 
Executive Order: Designating English as the Official Language of The United States (3/1/2025)
  • The What: On Saturday, March 1, the White House released a new Executive Order establishing English as the official language of the U.S. 

  • The Impact: The order allows government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether they want to offer documents and services in languages other than English and revokes a previously established mandate that that directed federal agencies to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.  
Executive Order: Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative (2/26/2025)
  • The What: On Wednesday, February 26, the president signed an Executive Order implementing DOGE activities in the administration. Section 3 of the order allows for DOGE to review, negotiate, and terminate or modify “all existing covered contracts and grants” in accordance with the Administration’s policies. 
Executive Order: Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies (2/18/2025)
  • The What: On Tuesday, February 18, the White House released a new Executive Order that expands presidential power over independent agencies, requiring agencies to run rulemaking and regulatory changes by the White House and removes the protections for agency heads laid out by the Supreme Court that said the president does not have the power to fire them.  
  • The Latest: It is yet unclear if any legal action will follow this order. There is currently litigation about the firing of the Office of the Special Counsel.
Executive Order: One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations (2/12/2025)
  • The What: On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, the White House released a new Executive Order stating, “All officers or employees charged with implementing the foreign policy of the United States must under Article II do so under the direction and authority of the President.” 
  • The Impact: U.S. embassies around the world are starting to prepare for staff reductions. 
Memorandum: Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations (2/6/2025)
  • The What: A White House memo was released yesterday that directs “the heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) to review all funding that agencies provide to NGOs.” This article from The Hill provides additional information. 
Executive Order: Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling (1/29/2025)
  • The What: This EO prioritizes patriotic education in k-12 schools that receive federal funding. 
  • The Impact: In section 5, it directs the Department of State through Fulbright, IVLP, the U.S. Speaker program, and American Spaces to support in promoting patriotic education through their exchange programs and activities. 
OMB Memorandum M-25-14: Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs (1/27/2025)
  • The What: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a two-page memo ordering a freeze of all agency grants, loans, or other financial assistance programs. OMB sent an 800+ page task spreadsheet to agencies to submit by Feb. 10 the details of all such grants. 
  • The Latest: On Tuesday, February 25, Judge Loren AliKhan issued a preliminary injunction barring the government from “implementing, giving effect to, or reinstating under a different name” the broad freeze on all government grants and loans originally attempted at the end of January. It expands her previous temporary block on the freeze. The injunction orders defendants to provide a status report on or before February 28 indicating how they are complying with this order. 
Executive Order: Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing (1/20/2025)
  • The What: The EO calls for the “termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.” 
  • The Latest: On Monday, March 10, U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson clarified that his February 21 preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from terminating or changing federal contracts they consider equity-related applies to all federal agencies, not just those named in the original lawsuit.
Executive Order: Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government (1/20/2025)
  • The Impact: Under this executive order, U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs) will no longer be issued with an X gender marker. Passports will only be issued with an M or F marker, reflecting the applicant’s biological sex at birth. For more information, including FAQs, visit the Department of State’s website.   
Executive Order: Protecting the United States for Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats (1/20/2025)
  • The What: This EO calls for suspending admission from countries where “vetting and screening information is deficient”; and for an evaluation of all visa programs to ensure they aren’t being used by “hostile actors.”  
  • The Impact: This is widely perceived as a potential precursor to a travel ban. 
Executive Order: Protecting the American People Against Invasion (1/20/2025)
  • The What: This wide-ranging EO asserts that failure or delay by a country to accept individuals the U.S. seeks to deport could be met by “sanctions.”  
  • The Impact: This could include halting U.S. visa issuance for that country. 
Executive Order: Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid (1/20/2025)
  • The What: This EO orders “a 90-day pause in United States foreign development assistance for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy.” 
  • The Impact: Based on available information at this time, this does not apply to DOS Educational and Cultural Exchanges (ECE) funding, but does impact certain exchange programs funded by other sources, such as Embassies, USAID, and more.
  • The Latest: On Friday, March 28, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily lifted a lower ruling, enabling the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to resume efforts to dismantle USAID. 
Memorandum: Regulatory Freeze Pending Review (1/20/2025)
  • The What: This memorandum states that agencies cannot “propose or issue any rule in any manner…until a department or agency head appointed or designated by the President…reviews and approves the rule.” 
  • The Impact: The Alliance reads this as no new regulatory actions will take place until an Assistant Secretary for ECA is confirmed. 

Congressional Action

Laken Riley Act
  • The What: The bill, which garnered significant bipartisan support, puts into statute the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain and deport undocumented immigrants who have been accused or convicted of crimes.  
  • The Impact: The bill includes language that provides states the authority to sue the State Department to stop the issuance of visas to countries that are slow to, or do not accept, their nationals who the U.S. seeks to deport. 
  • The Latest: President Trump signed the act into law the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29. 
FY25 Funding
  • The Latest: On Saturday, March 15, President Trump signed into law legislation funding the government through the end of September, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown.
  • The Impact: Concerns regarding funding cuts and shifts over the next six months remain. This continuing resolution, unlike those previously passed, does not include accompanying reports that detail with great specificity how money should be spent, leaving room for the Trump Administration to redirect funds as they see fit. Additional reporting reveals that the Trump Administration has already started mapping out how to make good on its promise to slash federal spending ahead of the CR passing.

Commentary and Analysis

Keep up to date on the latest policy and regulatory analysis from the Alliance team.

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