Dear Current and Future International Students, Scholars, and Recent Alumni,

Today, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) May 22 summary revocation of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. This order allows Harvard to continue enrolling international students and scholars while the case moves forward. Both current and incoming students should continue to apply for or renew their visas through the normal application process.  

Today’s order does not affect the DHS’s ongoing administrative review of Harvard’s F-1 international student program, following its issuance late last month of a “Notice of Intent to Withdraw” Harvard’s SEVP certification. Harvard is fully committed to compliance with the applicable F-1 regulations and strongly opposes any effort to withdraw the University’s certification. 

Today’s order also does not resolve Harvard’s motion for a preliminary injunction blocking the June 4 presidential proclamation suspending entry of newly admitted or appointed foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard. That proclamation is blocked by an emergency order, and we expect the judge to issue a more enduring decision in the coming days.  

As President Alan M. Garber shared in his June 5 message, our Schools will continue to make contingency plans toward ensuring that our international students and scholars can pursue their academic work to the fullest extent possible, should there be a change to student visa eligibility or their ability to enroll at Harvard. We are also tracking news reports of expanded travel restrictions that could ban or limit travel to the U.S. for certain categories of foreign nationals from additional countries. We are committed to supporting you and want to reiterate how valuable you are to our community. 

We appreciate the clarity and continuity provided by the court’s injunction and look forward to resolving the status of our international students and scholars as soon as possible. We will share more updates with you as our case proceeds. As always, continue to consult our Frequently Asked Questions if you have specific questions, or reach out to your HIO advisor.

Sincerely,
The Harvard International Office & The Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs