Dear Matt,
I suspect I don’t have to tell you that we continue to see a distressing and unprecedented number of visa revocations by the State Department and terminations of SEVIS records by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. NAFSA has been collecting reports of these actions from the field and yesterday we released initial findings based on our intake.
In sum: -
There have been almost 1,000 reports of international students either having their visa revoked and/or their record in SEVIS terminated, thereby jeopardizing their legal status in the United States. We will update our website as this number grows.
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Undergraduate, graduate, and Optional Practical Training (OPT)/STEM OPT students are affected.
- There is no clear pattern or trend in terms of nationality of student, type of institution affected, or location of the institution.
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SEVIS records that were terminated without notice have been further edited. When NAFSA first became aware of SEVIS record terminations, the rationale detailed in the record included citations to sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and/or references to being a foreign policy threat. However, we recently learned these records have been edited a second time without notice from SEVP to remove references to the INA and instead now cite "other" as the reason with a vague reference to a criminal records check "and/or" a visa revocation.
The U.S. for Success Coalition, of which NAFSA is a founding member, is calling on Congress to intervene on behalf of international students and scholars as a matter of national interest. See below how you can add your voice to this call to action, and for opportunities to connect with your peers and experts on this issue. The short URL for our campaign so that you may easily share with your networks is nafsa.org/standing-for-students-and-scholars.
NAFSA members should also visit nafsa.org/visarevocations for the latest updates as we learn them. The NAFSA.Network communities devoted to international student and international scholar issues are also important channels for sharing information with peers and learning from NAFSA’s regulatory practice experts.
NAFSA is also monitoring new legislation recently introduced in the House of Representatives which would eliminate OPT or any successor program unless Congress expressly authorizes such a program. OPT provides an F-1 student experiential learning opportunities through employment before or after completion of the student’s studies, or both. This legislation has been unsuccessful in prior congresses and currently has no companion legislation in the Senate. We will keep you posted if advocacy opportunities on this and other bills when action is necessary.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: -
Join the U.S. for Success Coalition in urging Congress to assert the importance of international students and scholars to U.S. national security, economy, and global competitiveness. Our system will generate a sample message that you can easily customize.
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Coordinate with your colleagues to ensure all visa revocation/SEVIS termination cases at your institution are (anonymously) submitted to NAFSA’s online form.
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Download NAFSA’s new resource, Sharpening Our Edge which makes the case for international education as a means to enhance U.S. competitiveness and share it with the leadership of your organization/institution and your federal relations officer if you have one. One page is devoted to international students and scholars, and the other, study abroad and foreign language learning and area studies.
- Join the next NAFSA Town Hall, Holding Space: Fostering Wellbeing, Building Resilience and Community of Care in Uncertain Times on April 15.
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NAFSA members are invited to a special online Q&A with immigration attorneys Bernard Wolfsdorf and Brad Banias on April 17. They will discuss how they and their colleagues are pursuing temporary restraining orders and/or preliminary injunctions in federal district court.
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Complete the Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding international student enrollments between January and March 2025. Participants in this six-minute survey will receive a customized benchmark report tailored to their institution.
Remember to reach out to colleagues and your community. You are not alone. Best, Erica Erica Stewart Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications NAFSA: Association of International Educators |
