Originally Posted: 5/23/2025 | Last Updated: 5/29/2025
On May 22, 2025, the Trump Administration revoked Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring the institution from enrolling international students for the 2025–2026 academic year and instructing currently enrolled F-1 students to transfer to a new SEVP-certified institution. This also raises serious questions for F-1 employees working pursuant to OPT or STEM OPT, though the immediate impact in this area is still unclear.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the withdrawal citing alleged “pro-terrorist conduct” and failure to produce records (dhs.gov). On May 23, 2025, Harvard issued a press release “condemn[ing] this unlawful and unwarranted action” and immediately filed a complaint seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to pause the impact of these actions.
The Latest: In quick response on May 23, 2025, a federal judge (U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs) blocked the Trump Administration from immediately revoking the university’s SEVP certification by granting Harvard’s TRO – meaning any potentially impacted students remain in lawful status for the time being. In a further hearing on May 29th, Judge Burroughs announced her intention to extend the block indefinitely with a preliminary injunction preventing the Administration from taking any further action until litigation on this issue is resolved (Politico, Reuters).
Other News Impacting F-1 Students: On May 27, 2025, the Trump Administration ordered U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to temporarily pause the scheduling of new appointments for F, M, and J visa applicants as it prepares to implement enhanced vetting procedures for student and exchange visitor visas. Learn more and stay up to date by monitoring this trending topic: Pause in F, M, and J Visa Appointments.
We are monitoring various developments impacting F-1 students and will report any further updates as new information becomes available. Keep an eye on our Trending Topics page for the latest updates on these issues and more.
