What is Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program that Trump admin has revoked

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a program that allowed Harvard University to enroll international students

Updated on: May 22, 2025, 23:53:00 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a program that allowed Harvard University to enroll international students. The New York Times cited a letter sent to he institution by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to report that the admin has revoked the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.

Trump admin has halted Harvard's international students program (Unsplash)

“I am writing to inform you that effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked,” the letter read, according to the NYT.

This comes amid Harvard and the Trump administration's tussle about key programs. The president has been putting pressure on the college to fall in line with his agenda. The university was notified about the latest halt on Thursday as a part of the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation, The New York Times added, citing sources.

Neither Harvard nor Trump officials have made a formal statement about the latest blow.

In a news release, the Department of Homeland Security said: “This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.”

What is Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program?

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program, administered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that oversees international students and exchange visitors at institutions like Harvard University on F-1 (academic students), M-1 (vocational students), and J-1 (exchange visitors) visas. S

EVP certification allows Harvard to enroll international students, who make up over 27% of its student body (about 6,700 students in 2024–25), per CNBC. The program requires Harvard to use the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to report data such as enrollment status, academic progress, and disciplinary records to ensure visa compliance, per ICE.

SEVP ensures students maintain full-time study and adhere to visa conditions, while Harvard’s International Office supports compliance through visa advising and SEVIS reporting, per Harvard.edu.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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