Immigration Resource
Are student visas still available?
The same categories of student visas are still available for those looking to study at an academic institution (F-1 visa), vocational institution (M-1 visa), or as an exchange student (J-1 visa). First, you need to be admitted to an institution or program in the US, then you can apply for a visa to attend.
Can my student visa be cancelled without warning?
In early 2025, almost 1,500 international students had their student visas put in limbo when they were all deleted from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). International students are required to be registered in SEVIS, so the cancellation put the students’ lawful status at risk. While some affected students had minor infractions (traffic or parking violations), others had no criminal history or infractions at all. This impacted students at 280 schools across the country, and especially impacted students who are from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
On April 25, 2025, the Department of Justice agreed that it would restore the students to the SEVIS system, which should resolve this issue of purging the SEVIS system. In reality, those students are understandably scared of remaining in the US and face an uncertain future because the Trump Administration suggests it has plans to implement new policies on student visa-holders. And while most students who were simply deleted have been restored to the SEVIS system, there were other students who individually had their visas revoked and those visa revocations are still effective.
Additionally, in May 2025, the Trump administration attempted to revoke Harvard University’s ability to sponsor international students for F-1 or J-1 visas in the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year, creating a frightening situation for the university’s international students and scholars. Those visa-holders would be forced to find and transfer to another school that could sponsor their visas, apply for a different type of visa (if they are eligible), or leave for their home country. Harvard University is challenging this revocation in court, but there is no clarity on what will happen next. It is entirely possible that other schools could face similar situations that endanger the legal status of their international students.
These unexpected changes are scary enough that students are staying in their apartments or, in rare cases, just choosing to leave the country. While international students should be careful to avoid criminal activity, there should be due process of law before they lose their visa status while they are studying in the US. If you have received notice that your student visa may be cancelled, find an immigration attorney immediately so you can plan how to respond. Students might also consider approaching school administration for assistance on navigating issues with their student visas.
Should I postpone my plans to study in the US?
Given the uncertainty that international students have faced in recent months, it is understandable to be apprehensive about planning to study in the US. Between March 2024 and March 2025, there was an 11% drop in international students enrolled in US colleges. And 41% of student visa applications were denied in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, an all-time high. We haven’t seen yet what will happen to those denial rates under the Trump administration, but the administration has been focused on making changes at colleges and for international students as part of its focus on immigration.
For anyone submitting new visa applications, it might be worth seeing how the process goes before making a decision. If your visa application is denied, the decision is made for you. You should also consider which universities align with your educational goals while understanding that certain schools, like Columbia University and Harvard University, have been targeted by the Trump administration. Students should also consider the atmosphere in each potential college, some of which are hostile to Indian or Hindu students (for example, by implementing policies on caste discrimination that single out this subset of students).
Other students are deciding not to pursue or continue with their education in the US because there is too much uncertainty around their visa status and safety as an immigrant. Because policy in this area is quickly evolving, we recommend keeping a close watch on those changes for international students who are even considering US academic institutions. Ultimately, you should make a decision based on your comfort level with the changing policies and priorities under the Trump administration, which are generally hostile to immigrants and colleges.
Should I be concerned about my social media?
For years, USCIS has been able to screen social media for visa applicants and use that information when making discretionary decisions about immigration benefits. However, immigration-related scrutiny has been very high since January 2025. Specifically, USCIS has “adopted social media vetting for. . . [visa-holders] endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organization or other antisemetic of anti-American activity.” This is consistent with the current administration’s enforcement focus on anti-Israel activity and protests on college campuses, including high-profile cases targeting students who do not have US citizenship. USCIS promotes on its website that in the 100 days since President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, the agency screened social media activity for 3,568 people.
Anyone planning to study on a student visa needs to be careful about their social media in the current political climate. Because immigration to the US even on temporary visas is discretionary, you can lose your visa for the kind of social media that is an enforcement priority right now: anti-Israel or anti-semitic content.
Do international students have the right to free speech in the US?
The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the right to free speech for everyone in the US, regardless of their immigration status. In reality, international students and other visa-holders have recently faced repercussions and increased scrutiny for engaging in a broad range of protest activity. Since March 2025, a number of international students have had visas revoked and been moved into deportation proceedings because of their anti-Israel or pro-Palestine protest activity. But because protests can range from peaceful demonstrations to interference with traffic or campus operations, it is more difficult to tell where the lines will be drawn for enforcement during a particular protest.
While legal battles play out, especially those involving major universities and their students, each individual has to make a decision about the level of risk they are willing to take in support of their beliefs. If you choose to protest or engage in other activism, see HAF’s guide to participating in protests and make sure to do so in a way that does not break other laws (for example, damaging private property, blocking streets without permission, or fighting/hurting other people).
