Visa Lawyer Blog
F-1 International Students at university campuses across the country have been rocked by alarming reports that their visas and SEVIS records have been suddenly terminated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), without any prior notice to the university or the student.
This new wave of SEVIS terminations which began early this month has led to a string of lawsuits filed in federal district court, challenging the legality of the terminations.
School officials became aware of terminated F-1 student records only after conducting checks of the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) system. The records of those impacted simply state that the visa revocations were due to an immigration status violation.
The following three generic classifications have been provided for the terminations:
- Termination based on serious adverse foreign policy consequences
- Student identified in a criminal records check
- Student identified in criminal check and/or has had their visa revoked
No further details regarding the reason for the terminations have been provided by the government, nor were school officials notified of actions taken.
What is SEVIS?
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is an online system used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain information on Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools, F-1 and M-1 students who come to the United States to begin a program of student.
Designated school officials use SEVIS to issue Forms I-20 to specific nonimmigrants to obtain F or M status while enrolled at the school and to satisfy their legal responsibilities.
