The United States issued a warning to prospective Kenyan students seeking visas, cautioning that skipping classes or leaving school without notifying their institution could lead to visa denials.

This it added will jeopardize future applications.

In a notice issued Wednesday, the US Embassy in Nairobi urged students to remain committed to their academic programmes and comply with institutional requirements to maintain visa eligibility.

“Heading to the U.S. on a student visa? Ensure you stay on track! Skipping classes or leaving your program without notifying your school could impact your visa status and future travel plans,” the embassy stated.

The embassy noted that students who abandon their programmes, fail to attend classes, or withdraw without formal notice risk having their visa status revoked and being deemed ineligible for future travel to the United States.

The announcement comes shortly after another directive requiring visa applicants to provide social media account information for the past five years, with false or incomplete disclosures carrying similar consequences.

The US State Department has also advised applicants for non-immigrant visas under categories F, M, and J to make their social media accounts public if previously set to private.

According to the State Department, these measures are part of a broader effort to protect US national security and public safety.

“The State Department is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” it said in an earlier statement.

The directives align with long-standing US immigration policies aimed at curbing visa abuse, which gained renewed emphasis during former President Donald Trump’s administration and were repeatedly referenced during his 2024 re-election campaign.