International students and scholars

Page updated July 21, 2025

Country-based restrictions

A presidential executive order issued on Jan. 20 directed a review of federal visa policies around countries or regions determined to pose security risks. On June 4, a presidential order was issued banning entry to the United States by nationals of 12 countries and restricting entry by nationals of seven countries as of June 9. It does not apply to individuals already in the United States who have existing visas or are lawful permanent residents. There are also exceptions for some visa categories.

The University is assessing the implications of this order on UW students and scholars from the affected countries, and is communicating directly with those individuals. Nationals from these countries should contact their campus’ international student services or scholars offices at the links in the Resources section below with questions or further guidance if needed.

International student visa revocations

In late March, reports from other colleges and universities indicated that F-1 and J-1 student visas were being cancelled by the U.S. government and student SEVIS immigration records were being terminated without notice to the school or student and with few details provided. UW international student services staff began regular checks of SEVIS records and in early April identified students and recent graduates participating in post-graduation training who had been affected. UW staff has been contacting these students and graduates directly to provide resources. A statement was issued on April 7 about this situation and subsequently updated as new information became available, including regarding actions by courts and the federal government. As of April 28, records for all affected UW students and recent graduates were restored by the federal government, however media reports indicate the administration is also developing a new system of reviewing these records so the University will continue to closely monitor the situation.

University officials are not receiving any notifications from the government when they terminate the SEVIS record, but other schools indicate that students receive an email from the embassy or consulate where their visa was issued. If you are have an F-1 or J-1 student visa and receive an official e-mail or other official communication saying that your visa has been cancelled and you must leave the United States, please contact your campus’ international student services office immediately. Links for each campus office appear below.

Additionally, an executive order issued on Jan. 29 related to Title VI enforcement and antisemitism caused concern that individuals’ visas could be revoked, including based on political views or actions. Since then, the U.S. Department of State has revoked a number of visas with national security concerns and/or expressions of antisemitism as the stated reasons.

Visas for students from China

On May 28, the U.S. Department of State announced that it will work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” At this time, it is not known what criteria or legal justification will be used, or what fields are considered “critical.”

The University is closely monitoring this situation and international student services offices will communicate directly with potentially affected students.

As stated above, if you are have an F-1 or J-1 student visa and receive an official e-mail or other official communication saying that your visa has been cancelled and you must leave the United States, please contact your campus’ international student services office immediately.

Pause in visa appointments lifted

In early June, the U.S. Department of State issued a temporary pause on adding new F, M and J visa interviews until the government issued new guidance to embassies/consulates on the expansion of social media screening and vetting of visa applicants.

Later in June, it resumed conducting visa interviews under those new guidelines, which include requiring applicants to make their social media profiles public so that they could be reviewed as part of the visa process.

Resources

All of these measures are under active review by the University and more information will be provided when available. The Office of Global Affairs has compiled resources for international students and scholars and the offices serving international students on each campus are also available to provide information.