Overview

• The Department of Homeland Security has reinstated legal status for thousands of international students after abrupt visa revocations in March and April 2025.
• Visa terminations were often linked to minor infractions, such as traffic violations, or occurred without clear explanations, raising concerns about due process.
• New York universities, including NYU, SUNY, and CUNY, confirmed visa reinstatements for affected students, while ICE paused further SEVIS terminations to draft new policy guidance.
• The policy reversals have prompted some prospective international students to consider studying in Canada or the U.K. due to lingering uncertainty about U.S. policies.
• International students, who contribute $43.8 billion annually to the U.S. economy, remain a critical component of higher education institutions, both economically and academically.