‘Your visa may be revoked if you…’, US Embassy warns Indian students

The US Embassy, in a post on X, also urged students to adhere to the terms of visas and “maintain your student status” to avoid any issues

New Delhi: The US Embassy in India on Tuesday warned international students studying in the US that if they “drop out, skip classes, or leave your programme of study” without informing the school, then their student visas may be revoked.

The Embassy, in a post on X, also urged students to adhere to the terms of visas and “maintain your student status” to avoid any issues.

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“If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your program of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future US visas. Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues,” it said.

American universities attract a large number of Indian students. In 2023, the US consular team in India issued over 1,40,000 student visas — more than any other country — setting a record for the third year in a row. The same year, the US Mission in India processed a record 1.4 million visas.

The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows individuals to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, academic high school or other academic institution.

The J visas are nonimmigrant visas for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programmes in the US. In April, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Indian missions in the US are in touch with Indian students facing issues relating to the revocation of visas and extending possible support to them.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had responded to a question on several Indian students in the United States receiving communications from US authorities under the Donald Trump administration on possible revocation of their visas.

Meanwhile, a recent development related to Harvard University has added to the anxiety of foreign students enrolled at the prestigious university. The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s eligibility to enrol foreign students, raising concerns over the legal status of thousands of students, including nearly 800 from India, currently enrolled at the varsity.

In an unprecedented development, the Trump administration on May 22 ordered the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification.

“This means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the federal agency had said. The development also threatens to impact the students from India, who are studying at Harvard University.

Currently, Harvard hosts a total of about 10,158 students and scholars from around the world across its schools. According to statistics on the website of Harvard International Office, there are 788 students and scholars from India at all schools under Harvard University for the 2024-25 academic year.

However, as per international reports, a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the university’s ability to enrol international students. There is a very high demand for US visas, both among students and tourists, besides travellers in other categories.