“All the international students who heard the news are very confused.”

Students of Korean descent currently enrolled or about to graduate from Harvard University were shocked by news that the Donald Trump administration would revoke the eligibility for the school to enroll foreign students on the 22nd (local time).

On March 17, students gather around the statue of founder John Harvard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to attend a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's school oppression. /Courtesy of AFP Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News Agency on the 23rd, Huang Jeong-ho, president of the Harvard Korean Students Association (computer science, 4th year), noted in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency, “I was very surprised and worried when I heard the news suddenly today,” and added, “We have not yet received any official contact from the school.”

Some Korean students expressed their anxiety, reacting with thoughts like, 'Should I buy a plane ticket to return to Korea right now?' and 'Am I going to be kicked out of the United States?'

Harvard University is in a situation where it is effectively wrapping up its academic schedule for the 2024-2025 school year and is facing graduation ceremonies next week. With the start of the vacation, it is said that currently only a few, including those expected to graduate, remain in the campus dormitories.

Due to the government's unusual and extreme measure, no one can provide a clear answer about whether students will be able to continue staying in the United States on international student status and pursue their studies, as they await an official explanation from the university while monitoring the situation.

Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, stated on the same day, “Harvard University has lost its certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) due to non-compliance with the law.”

The Department of Homeland Security mentioned that due to the loss of SEVP certification, Harvard University can no longer enroll foreign students, and that existing international students must transfer to another school; otherwise, they will lose their legal status.

SEVP is a program of the Department of Homeland Security that manages international student visas, and it is necessary to have SEVP certification to issue documents like the I-20 for foreign students. The I-20 is a key document required for the approval of student visas such as F and J.

Huang explained that not only current students but also those about to graduate share the same anxiety. He said, “Current students have until September, when the new semester starts, to monitor the situation, but graduates who have already started working or are about to get a job are feeling lost because they don't know whether they can work or how to maintain their status.”

Many international students in the United States can work on their student visas for a period until they obtain a professional visa (H-1B) after graduating. With this measure, if the student visa is revoked, there could be issues with job searching and employment in the United States. This measure may also affect graduates who are already waiting for work visas under their student visa status, including those who are about to graduate.

The number of Korean international students at Harvard is about 40 based on the undergraduate Korean student association. The number of Korean students increases further when including graduate students. According to Harvard, there are about 6,800 international students enrolled at the university this year. This represents approximately 27% of the total student body.