Topics
Education Abroad
International Education Leadership
International Enrollment Management
International Student and Scholar Services
Regulatory Information
Competencies
Compliance Management

NAFSA Resources

Letters, statements, and memoranda

NAFSA Signs on to ACE Letter to DOS and DHS. On April 4, 2025 NAFSA along with other higher education associations signed on to a letter sent by the American Council on Education (ACE) to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to seek more information on DOS and DHS policy and planned actions relating to recent visa revocations, SEVIS record terminations, and detention and removal of international students. Read the letter.

Statement: NAFSA Responds to International Student and Scholar Arrests. March 31, 2025 press release. NAFSA addressed the recent reports on detention of international students and scholars, visa revocations, and the termination of SEVIS records, saying that the "government’s recent actions have created an atmosphere of fear and confusion that has students, scholars, and their families understandably concerned about their safety and future in the United States. These actions also undermine what makes U.S. higher education so special: well-resourced, cutting-edge research opportunities; academic freedom; and free speech."

Statement: Suspension of International Education and Exchange Program Funding Threatens U.S. Economic and National Security. March 3, 2025. Statements by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Alliance for International Exchange, and the Forum on Education Abroad on the Trump-Vance administration's failure to lift the 15-day pause of all State Department grant disbursements on February 27, 2025. 

NAFSA Signs on to Letter to the Department of Education on DoED Dear Colleague Letter. February 24, 2025. Along with more than 60 associations, NAFSA signed on to a letter sent by the American Council on Education (ACE) in response to the Department of Education's (DoEd) February 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter (DCL). The letter asks DoEd to "rescind this DCL and work to promulgate guidance that reflects existing law."

NAFSA Joins Higher Education Letter to Secretary Rubio Outlining Key Priorities. February 3, 2025. NAFSA joined the American Council on Education and 29 other higher education associations in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, congratulating him on his recent confirmation and addressing key priorities for higher education. The letter emphasized concerns about visa processing delays and denials that could discourage international students from choosing U.S. institutions, and reiterated U.S. higher education’s commitment to collaborating on national security concerns while protecting beneficial global academic exchange.

NAFSA Memorandum to the Trump-Vance Administration. January 17, 2025. NAFSA communicates that it is "ready to work with the Trump-Vance administration to advance the following policy priorities: Ensure the Global Competency of U.S. College Graduates; Attract and Retain the Best and Brightest International Talent."

Presentations and articles

NAFSA Webinar: Legal Challenges Facing International Students and Scholars and Higher Education's Duty of Care. April 3, 2025. In this unrecorded member-only webinar NAFSA and invited experts explored the evolving legal landscape and what it means for institutions committed to supporting international student populations. 

IE30: 40 Days into the New Administration in the United States. March 3, 2025. View an #IE30 discussion on LinkedIn examining international education policy 40 days into the new US administration, with NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw and experts from IDP Education and NAFSA analyzing Executive Orders affecting international education, sharing perspectives from practitioners, and engaging in action-oriented conversation about collaborative solutions.

Regulatory Perspectives: Regulatory Practice and the New Presidential Administration. February 13, 2025. NAFSA staff members David Fosnocht and Steve Springer presented on student and scholar advising and the new presidential administration. They discussed vehicles an administration can use to effect change, reviewed interests of the prior Trump administration that may be revived, and described steps you may take to avoid problems. They also noted sources you may use to keep up with developments and explained how you can get involved in NAFSA’s advocacy efforts.

Landscape Shift: What the Trump Administration Means for International Education. February 6, 2025. By Meredith Bell. Interview, NAFSA International Educator Magazine. NAFSA's deputy executive director of public policy discusses the new administration's early moves, the association's policy priorities, and the potential impact on the field.

IE30 with Dr. Fanta Aw: Charting a Course in the New Political Environment. January 22, 2025. View an #IE30 discussion on LinkedIn where NAFSA CEO Dr. Fanta Aw and policy experts examined the path forward for international education. Dr. Aw was joined by NAFSA board member Ahmad Ezzeddine and Jill Allen Murray and Rachel Banks of NAFSA's Public Policy team to explore priorities, resources, and collaborative opportunities for strengthening the field in this political environment.

Web pages

Considerations on Reinstatement in the Context of ICE Initiated SEVIS Termination. DSOs may have been asked or wondered about using the F-1 reinstatement process as a part of a legal strategy to address an ICE-initiated termination of a SEVIS record. This resources identifies some factors that should be considered.

ICE-Initiated SEVIS Terminations. NAFSA has received numerous reports of SEVIS record terminations done by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). See NAFSA's page for some background and frameworks for understanding these actions.

  • NAFSA Initial Analysis of Visa Revocations and other Actions Targeting International Students and Scholars. April 10, 2025. Since mid-March, NAFSA has been collecting reports of international students and scholars having their visas revoked, their record terminated in SEVIS, and/or being arrested and detained. A NAFSA press release includes our top-level findings along with ways institutions can support their students and upcoming NAFSA events where the field can come together and find community. See NAFSA's press release.

Inadmissibility and Removal Based on Ideological Grounds. Review a number of statutory provisions in the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) that might serve as a basis for excluding someone from entering the United States (inadmissibility) or deporting them from the United States (removability) based on ideological grounds

Government Scrutiny of Digital Footprint and Social Media. Many students and scholars might not realize that their social media presence can be scrutinized during visa applications, border screenings, or law enforcement encounters. Explore this NAFSA page for some helpful tips and resources. Schools can help educate students on social media risks.

NAFSA Current U.S. Administration Page. Explore our dedicated hub for timely updates, objective analysis, and association advocacy and resources as we navigate policy changes under the new presidential administration.

NAFSA Policy Resources. Find NAFSA policy recommendations on the latest, most relevant trends, data and reports from NAFSA members and other scholars, officials, and partners in the field of international education.

NAFSA Practical Immigration Concepts in a Time of Change. A NAFSA resource page that describes the basics of core U.S. immigration processes and lists links to "evergreen" NAFSA backgrounders.

Connecting Our World Updates. Access past issues of Connecting Our World, NAFSA's weekly newsletter that distills the top policy and regulatory developments affecting international education and how members of the field can use their voice to take action in simple but meaningful ways.

External Resources

Helpful Resources by Immigration Lawyers

  • Helpful Video on F-1 SEVIS Terminations and Visa Revocations. A video from law firm Green and Spiegel presents a conversation with Kerry Doyle (of counsel at Green and Spiegel, and the former Principal Legal Advisor to ICE) and Dan Berger (partner at Green and Spiegel leading the academic immigration team, and a visiting fellow at Cornell Law School). Suitable for a student audience as well (but not intended as legal advice). View What we know about terminations of international student visa and status (April 22, 2025, Posted on YouTube).

The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration:

The American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA):

Immigration-Related Campus Concerns. Issue Brief by the American Council on Education (ACE). January 17, 2025. The American Council on Education (ACE) "has prepared a new issue brief offering information and insights to help campuses navigate what may be a rapidly shifting landscape."

Guttentag, Immigration Policy Tracking Project: "The Immigration Policy Tracking Project (IPTP) compiles and indexes all identifiable Trump 1.0 and 2.0 immigration policies with key source documents and the current status of each policy."

Just Security Litigation Tracker. "This public resource tracks legal challenges to Trump administration actions."

Related Content

Current U.S. Administration Executive and Regulatory Actions Under the Second Trump Administration

Regulatory Resources

Law Links Adviser's Manual 360 Adviser's Manual 360 News Feed