The United States has issued a warning to Kenyan students holding or applying for student visas, declaring that failing to attend classes or withdrawing from their academic programmes without authorisation could lead to their visas being cancelled and affect future visa applications.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Nairobi emphasised the importance of maintaining enrolment and complying with school policies in order to retain visa eligibility.

“Travelling to the US on a student visa? Stay on track! Missing classes or leaving your programme without notifying your school may jeopardise your visa status and future travel opportunities,” the embassy cautioned.

Students who drop out, skip courses or withdraw without proper notice risk having their visas revoked and may have difficulty obtaining US visas in future.

This advisory follows recent US visa policy updates, including a requirement for applicants to disclose their social media history from the past five years.

The US State Department also now advises F (academic), M (vocational) and J (exchange) visa holders to make their social media accounts publicly accessible during the application process, even if they were previously private.

State Department officials have confirmed that these measures form part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing public safety and national security within the United States.

“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,” they wrote in a statement. A US visa is a privilege, not a right,’ the department wrote in added.

These measures align with long-standing US immigration policies designed to prevent visa abuse, policies that gained significant attention during President Donald Trump’s previous administration and were extensively debated during his 2024 reelection campaign.