Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2025) – With foreign student visas at Harvard and elsewhere in the news, today's episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features Andrew Arthur, the Center for Immigration Studies fellow in law and policy, providing a crash course on the subject. He explains the foreign student admissions process, the responsibilities of schools certified to enroll foreign students, and recent policy issues. With over one million foreign students studying (and working) in America, this episode covers the national security implications of not having proper knowledge of who is being brought in and what they are doing while in the U.S.
Key topics covered:
Admissions Overview:
- The role of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)
- What is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)?
- Student's Application to SEVP-certified institutions.
- Issuance of Form I-20 upon acceptance.
- Visa application at U.S. consulates.
- Which branch controls visa issuance?
Role of Designated School Officials (DSOs):
- A DSO plays the role of a "deputized immigration officer."
- Monitoring student status via SEVIS.
- Reporting changes in enrollment or course of study.
- Conflict of interest? Balancing institutional responsibilities with immigration compliance.
Optional Practical Training (OPT):
- Students working under the OPT program are still on student visas.
- Will these students lose their ability to be employed as cheap labor?
Policy Challenges:
- Why did the Trump administration revoke Harvard University's SEVP certification?
- Potential impact/lack of impact of the District Court's temporary restraining order (TRO).
- Impact on other schools.
In today's commentary, Mark Krikorian, podcast host and executive director of the Center, highlights today's main illegal immigration challenge: visa overstays. He cites the recent Colorado attack committed by a visa overstayer as an example of the importance of action and describes some of the solutions which are in the reconciliation bill.
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