The HIO has received multiple reports of international students and scholars receiving scam phone calls from individuals representing themselves as employees with “U.S. Immigration” or other government entities. They alter caller ID systems to make it appear that the call is coming from a governmental number. The scammers obtain or verify personally identifiable information from their victims through various tactics, including by telling individuals that they are the victims of identity theft. The scammers also pose as law enforcement or immigration officials and threaten victims with arrest unless they make payments to the scammers using a variety of methods.
Students and scholars who have received scam phone calls have reported that their caller ID said the IRS or an immigration office (e.g. SEVP, USCIS) were calling. Scam phone calls have also been received where the caller ID stated that the Massachusetts State Police, Cambridge Police, or other local police were calling. If you do not know who is on the line, do not simply assume it is someone from the office identified on your caller ID. Scammers are able to “spoof” these numbers so it appears the call is coming from a government office.
Government officials would never ask you for money or to meet them with gift cards. The IRS would never call individuals regarding their taxes and USCIS or SEVP would never call you to threaten you with arrest or deportation. If you receive any calls like those described above, simply hang up! You should also never email your social security number or give it to someone you do not know over the phone. Please refer to the links below for resources and more information:
Harvard President Lawrence Bacow issued a welcome letter to incoming and returning students, particularly addressing the obstacles and sacrifices many international students and scholars face in obtaining visas and entering the United States. You may read his entire message to the Harvard community here.
With the beginning of the new school year upon us, Mayor of Boston Martin Walsh has issued a letter welcoming international students who have chosen Boston to be their new home in the United States. You may read his welcome letter here.
President Larry Bacow traveled to Washington, DC this week to meet with members of Congress to discuss a range of University priorities and concerns, including the uncertainties federal immigration policy has created for faculty and students at Harvard and at universities across the nation. Read more
In a related move, Bacow also sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan last week calling on them to expedite the visa and immigration process for foreign students and researchers.
F-1 students who applied for OPT are facing unprecedented delays in receiving their EADs (employment authorization documents). These delays not only affect our recent graduates and HU hiring departments, but those across the U.S. Without EADs, students have no income and are not permitted to begin working until they get their EADs. They cannot travel outside the U.S. and reenter the U.S. without the EAD. In previous years, OPT applications have taken 60-100 days to be processed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but the processing time this year is much longer than previous years. Recent estimates are that OPT processing could take as long as 5.5 months. These delays are part of a bigger problem within USCIS. The General Accountability Office (GAO) will undertake a study in the fall at the urging of Congress to investigate USCIS processing times which have increased by up to 46 percent since Fiscal Year 2016. We are working with various offices across the University and professional organizations to advocate for our students. Please feel free to contact your HIO advisor if you have any questions.
The 2026 Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-2026), also known as the "Green Card Lottery," is open for registration. This U.S. government-instituted program offers over 50,000 immigrant visas to individuals from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Applications are accepted electronically and the process is free. Any site charging a fee is not affiliated with the U.S. government.
Ask questions! I cannot overstate the importance of asking questions. This simple practice will make your life so much better! Also, a question might not only lead you to an answer but to so much more. You might find your best friends, strongest supporters, and wisest mentors at the end of a question.
The chance to represent Harvard women’s varsity tennis team was one of the most fulfilling experiences at Harvard so far. Not only I had a second family here, but I felt that I was paying back to the community by representing Harvard College.
The prospects of learning in a diverse community of practice and having an opportunity to learn from professors whose work I have been following for a long time attracted me to Harvard.
