Reports of international students and scholars who have had their visas revoked and/or their records terminated in SEVIS continue. The tally we first shared on April 10 (800) has grown to more than 1,4001 though the pace of new submissions has slowed. With a larger volume of reports, we are able to provide more insight into the size, scale, and nature of these enforcement actions against international students and scholars.
- There continues to be no clear pattern or trend in terms of nationality of student. Our reports reveal that students from more than 40 countries have been impacted.
- The five countries with the greatest number of students affected are India (301); China (285), South Korea (41); Saudi Arabia (40), and Nigeria (39). This aligns with the countries that have the largest international student populations in the United States.
- Undergraduate, graduate, and Optional Practical Training (OPT)/STEM OPT students are about equally impacted. Graduate students represent 35 percent of the pool of affected students; 33 percent are F-1 students on OPT/STEM OPT or J-1 visa holders on academic training, and 30 percent are undergraduate.
- The visa revocations and SEVIS record terminations are happening to students at all types of higher education institutions, from community colleges to R-1 research institutions. The type of institution with the most reported cases--by a wide margin—is doctoral universities (702) followed by master’s colleges and universities (177). Baccalaureate and associate’s colleges are affected in smaller numbers. This is not surprising given that the majority of international students are at doctoral universities.
- There is still no transparency into the grounds for these revocations, nor is there any clear process for determining what the charges are against the student. Due process remains woefully absent.
There has been progress in stemming this wave of actions against international students and scholars. We are monitoring numerous lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of individuals which are in various stages of litigation. We will keep you posted of any major developments.
Our advice to colleges and universities remains that international offices, the institution’s general counsel, communications office, human resources, student affairs, the office of the registrar and others should all be in close communication. Our Network NAFSA communities are rich with recommendations of attorneys who are representing students or serving as a resource for institutions and their students. NAFSA will also continue to provide spaces for the field to connect and share information.
Your voice matters.
- Urge your senator to join Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) in urging the Departments of State and Homeland Security to release and disaggregate the total number2 of student visa revocations and SEVIS record terminations and provide updated guidance so that students, universities, and the public may understand the standards used to undertake these governmental actions. The deadline for senators to join the Durbin-led letter is April 24.
- Join the U.S. for Success Coalition in calling on Congress to convey to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security that welcoming international students and scholars is in the country’s national interest.
Footnotes
1This figure is likely an underrepresentation, given that it is based on voluntary reporting by international educators at a time when concerns about privacy and demands on their time are heightened.
2In response to a data request by the Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) indicated to the committees on April 10 that they had terminated more than 4,736 SEVIS records.