Since April 2025, the SEVIS records of thousands of international students in the United States have been terminated and their visas canceled. These decisions, which have had a major impact on international students, were often made without any clear or reasonable explanation. After weeks of anxiety and efforts by the affected students, the U.S. government suddenly announced the restoration of these students’ SEVIS records (although many students’ visas have still not been reinstated). Such capricious and arbitrary administrative actions highlight the high uncertainty and risks international students face in the current political climate in the United States.
How immigration policy will change in the future remains unknown. Therefore, in the current situation, it is necessary for international students to directly communicate and negotiate with their advisors and departments to prepare contingency plans for emergencies in advance. Topics for such negotiations may include continued enrollment, financial aid, legal assistance, and the establishment of department-wide public discussion mechanisms.
As of this writing, international students at various institutions—through active advocacy—have secured different commitments from their universities and departments, such as being allowed to continue their studies even after SEVIS deactivation, receiving more scholarships and emergency funds, organizing legal knowledge trainings for all students in the department, and holding regular open meetings to discuss the latest developments. Some students are also organizing exchanges of experiences among peers in the same field across different schools.
Now is the time to unite and face these challenges together! This article is a compiled list of points based on letters of appeal already written by international students at certain institutions, provided here for reference and adaptation when communicating with your own department.