Last Friday, there was a major policy shift by the Trump administration in the United States, which led to the restoration of thousands of international students’ SEVIS records that were abruptly terminated. CNN confirmed that at least 500 international students have had their legal status restored. However, industry professionals indicate that uncertainty still remains for some international students.
This policy change stemmed from a federal court hearing held on April 25, where it was ruled that the government’s mass termination of student statuses from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database was unlawful.
During the court proceedings, government lawyers stated that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is developing a “new policy,” and until that policy takes effect, all student visa records “will remain valid, and if currently invalid, should be reactivated.”
CNN reported that at least 500 international students’ statuses have been restored. CNN also interviewed several universities that had international student SEVIS records terminated or student visas revoked. Northeastern University and University of California, Davis had over 20 students with terminated SEVIS records, both universities informed CNN that all international students’ SEVIS records have been reinstated.
As of April 25, more than 1,800 international students had their SEVIS records terminated or visas revoked, causing unease among universities and students, with some even choosing to leave the United States.
The impact of the revocation and restoration of legal status is still unclear. As of Tuesday (April 29), some universities contacted by CNN stated that they are still receiving reports of their international students’ SEVIS statuses being terminated.
According to James Nash, a spokesperson for the University of California, Davis, two international students from the university had their SEVIS records revoked while abroad, raising questions about their future situations and their ability to reenter the US in the near future.
Fragomen immigration lawyers Aaron Blumberg and Daniel Pierce told The PIE, “When the government rescinded the SEVIS termination orders, both we and our clients breathed a sigh of relief, but uncertainty still exists.”
They explained that, for instance, if a student’s SEVIS record has been terminated for two weeks and they are participating in optional practical training (OPT) related to their studies, they may have already exceeded the allowable maximum unemployment period.
The PIE reported on April 29 that the American International Student Services Association (NAFSA) said that only the ICE-terminated SEVIS records were rescinded by the government, not visa revocations. This means that some students’ statuses might be reactivated, but they still face the risk of being denied entry into the US after international travel.
While visa revocation has significant implications in terms of individuals’ ability to return to the US, the student SEVIS status allows them to remain in the country. Due to the lack of detailed statistics on visa revocations and terminated SEVIS records, the relationship between this policy adjustment and visa revocation remains unclear.
The US State Department has not provided any explanation on this issue.
A State Department spokesperson, in response to PIE News, explained, “Visas and SEVIS are different components for international students and exchange visitors during their study or program participation in the United States.”
“In order to safeguard US border security and protect the safety of our community, the State Department revokes visas daily and will continue to do so.”
Furthermore, industry leaders also cautioned that the policy change does not necessarily mean that all terminated SEVIS records will be reinstated, as the court learned that ICE is “developing a policy framework for the termination of SEVIS records.”
“The timing and impact of this policy, as well as how it will affect students, remain to be seen,” Blumberg and Pierce stated. “This is crucial, and we hope that any upcoming policy will prioritize transparency, fairness, and consistency.”