On Friday, April 4, ISSS Director Martin McFarlane sent the following message to all international students, faculty, staff, and scholars:
Over the past few weeks, news reports have detailed actions taken by federal immigration authorities that affect international students and scholars, including the termination of immigration status without notice to the individual. These federal activities have become more widespread within the past few days. Students at many institutions of higher education- including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign- are being affected.
International Student and Scholar Services has reached out to each impacted individual to offer support and guidance. ISSS protects student privacy and follows federal privacy laws and does not publicly share specific details of anyone’s immigration status.
A student F-1 or J-1 termination involves canceling an individual’s immigration status in the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS). This can be done by federal agencies or the school for many different reasons including an individual changing to a different status or failing to maintain status requirements. When a federal agency terminates a record without informing the school or the student, this is sometimes referred to as a “no-contact termination. The university has no authority to reverse these terminations.
ISSS regularly monitors SEVIS immigration status of students and scholars. When a status is terminated for any reason, by either a federal agency or the school, ISSS directly communicates with the individual to provide details and options specific to the individual’s unique situation.
While individuals are responsible for maintaining their own immigration status, and terminations can be the result a failure to remain in compliance with those regulations, the university is attentive to the fact that a termination can be significantly disruptive and unsettling and have created this list of frequently asked questions about immigration to help you better understand these issues.
We understand how unsettling these reports are for our entire international population, and we are working to provide the resources and support to navigate the situation. You are an important and needed part of our community and we are grateful you are here.