A US federal judge in Georgia temporarily restored the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of 133 international students subjected to illegal SEVIS terminations. Here are six things to know about the restoration of SEVIS record.
Court’s order to federal authorities
On Friday, the US federal court issued a Temporary Restraining Order asking the Department of Homeland Security restore the SEVIS records of the students. The court also stopped federal authorities from using or revealing personal information of students outside the litigation.
The government actions have been called out by attorneys, highlighting that no set rules or regulations are clearly stated in the letters issued to students.
What did ICE do?
The order came after the US Department of State and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revoked the visas of international students and terminated their SEVIS records, which may have forced the students to be deported.
Who was affected the most?
ICE cancelled nearly 4,736 SEVIS records from January 20, 2025, onwards. Of these students, 50% were Indians, according to a survey by the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Along with these students, Chinese, Nepali, South Korean, and Bangladeshi students were also affected. Most of these students held F-1 visas.
What is an F-1 visa?
An F-1 visa is a non-immigrant student visa that permits international students to enter the United States to pursue education in US institutions.
Indian students relied on OPT
The majority of the Indian students were on Optional Practical Training (OPT)in the United States, which is a temporary work authorisation permit given to international students who have graduated, especially for STEM courses. This permit may last for 36 months and acts as a precursor to apply H-1B visa.
Reasons for cancellations of visa
The visas of many students were cancelled due to minor reasons such as traffic tickets or violations of university regulations, as per the report. One of the students lost their visa status over being mentioned as a victim of domestic violence in a police case. Out of 327 cases, only two instances referred to political activity.
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