This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh is an active member.
In the latest volleys against Harvard University, the Trump administration ordered the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, announced a ban on all foreign student visas for study there, and ordered foreign students currently studying at Harvard to transfer or lose their right to study in the United States. After Harvard filed a complaint, a U.S. district court judge ordered the ban temporarily stopped while litigation plays out. According to reports, foreign students make up more than a quarter of Harvard’s student body.
Also according to reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently began sending warning notices to certain F-1 students engaged in Optional Practical Training (OPT) stating that they have been enrolled in the OPT program for more than 90 days but have not reported any employment status.
The notices provide affected students with 15 days to update their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record. If no action is taken, the student’s SEVIS record could then be terminated to indicate that a violation of status has occurred for failure to timely report OPT employment or for exceeding the permissible period of unemployment during OPT. The notice further warns that failure to take corrective action may result in the initiation of removal proceedings.
