WORCESTER ― Four international students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have had their visas revoked, according to the university.
WPI confirmed to the Telegram & Gazette that the school is aware that four students had their visas revoked, and a message was sent out to all students and faculty at the university on April 9 from President Grace Wang addressing the situation.
“WPI confirmed today that federal authorities have revoked the visas of four of our international students,” Wang wrote. “Similar actions in recent days have affected hundreds of international students across the country, including at multiple colleges and universities in Massachusetts.”
Wang said the university does not know why the students had their visas revoked, and that WPI learned about the situation because it checks a government database, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, on a daily basis and noticed that four WPI students had had their visas revoked.
“WPI is working directly with these students to help them locate legal representation and to determine the next steps regarding their programs of study,” Wang stated. “We understand that international students may feel anxious about their visa status. Please know that WPI checks SEVIS multiple times each day and will immediately seek to contact and similarly support any student whose visa status shows a change.”
What are student visas?
International students who are studying in America typically use what is called an F-1 visa. After gaining admission to a school, students on an F-1 visa must go through an interview process at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad in order to be granted visa status.
The F-1 visa is directly linked to a student’s academic standing at a university, and they must remain in good academic standing at their university in order to maintain their visa status. They also must demonstrate that they have enough financial support to complete their studies.
Entry visas are managed by the State Department and can be accessed by colleges and universities using SEVIS.
Colleges have seen an increase in revoked visas since President Donald Trump entered office earlier this year. In a few high-profile cases, such as that of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk, students have had their residency status revoked and been detained, allegedly due to their support of pro-Palestine causes on campus.
While WPI stated it does not know why the students visas were revoked, the Associated Press has reported that some colleges have been told that infractions as minor as traffic violations have been cited as reasons for visas being revoked.
What happens to the students?
Typically, if a visa status is revoked, a student can complete their studies in the United States, but they cannot leave and re-enter the country. However, if students have their legal residency status removed, such as in the case of Khalil and Öztürk, they must leave the country immediately or risk being detained.
The uncertainty regarding what comes next for students who have had their visas revoked has thrown colleges and universities into chaos, as any international student feels the risk of having their status revoked at any time.
“As we navigate these issues together, WPI encourages all international members of our community to familiarize themselves with their legal rights and responsibilities,” Wang wrote. “WPI staff, led by the International Student and Scholars Office and Talent & Inclusion, are reaching out to our international students, staff and faculty to provide information and to ensure their documentation is up to date.”
As a leading polytechnic university, WPI is home to a large international student body, with 1,160 international students attending the school in fall 2024, according to the university. A majority of international students are graduate students. The most represented country at WPI was India, with 389 students, followed by China at 271 students.
Wang, herself a native of China who first came to the United States to get her Ph.D. at Northwestern University, wrote that she knows firsthand the benefits of an international education.
“In this climate of uncertainty, I want to assure WPI’s international students, staff and faculty: You are welcome here. You belong here. WPI is here to support you,” Wang wrote. “I know from my own experience the transformative power of international study. WPI has long provided a welcoming academic home for students and scholars from around the world. Their perspectives make WPI a more connected, more creative and more intellectually rigorous university.”
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 4 WPI students have visas revoked; no explanation given
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