What Nebraska international students need to know about visas

At least 750 international students across the country had their visas revoked recently, and the number is expected to grow.

As KETV Investigates told you on Wednesday, some of those were at the University of Nebraska.

At the beginning of April, the University of Nebraska

published

a fact sheet clarifying the complexities of student visas.

“We know it’s affecting the entire nation, but their details are unclear. That should also raise alarm,” Mindy Rush Chipman, Nebraska American Civil Liberties Union’s Executive Director, said.

With an increasing demand for attorneys, ACLU is preparing information and templates for its group and other attorneys to use.

Here’s what you need to know, straight from the University of Nebraska:

A student will know their visa is revoked if they receive an email from the Department of State. You should contact the international office at your school to find out your SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) record status—that’s the government database that tracks international students and scholars.

The University of Nebraska said it is important to know a revoked visa and even a terminated SEVIS record does not mean you must depart the U.S. immediately—though the university says that could “eventually be the end result.”

“These impacted individuals literally have no idea why they’ve been targeted,” Chipman said.

The University of Nebraska said the most common reasons for terminations include:

Dropping below full-time student status without permission,
Failure to enroll in classes,
Failure to get a timely I-20 extension—a student visa form,
Or switching from one visa to another.

If your SEVIS record is terminated, the university advises people to halt their employment because work authorization isn’t granted without a valid visa.

It does not directly affect enrollment or classwork, but it’s advised to consult your academic advisor on next steps.

Chipman said it’s important to understand what’s happening as it affects more than just the immigrant community.

“Without those students and researchers, it’s not just impacting the universities and colleges which these students paid full tuition to attend,” Chipman said. “But it’s impacting the community because they’re no longer able to teach, learn and contribute to the community as they’ve been doing for years and years.”

The Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement in Omaha also advises students to “promptly” consult with a qualified immigration attorney. You can contact the group for legal consultation or for an attorney referral.