The Office of International Education held an emergency meeting Tuesday for Emporia State’s international students to address recent concerns about student status and options for students facing record termination.
Photographs of the meeting’s presentation slides obtained by The Bulletin outlined several reasons that students may be terminated from SEVIS: a student is identified in a criminal records check, a student’s protest or speech is considered to have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences” by the government or a student has had their visa revoked.
SEVIS is a web-based system used by the Department of Homeland Security to manage the records of international students nationwide. The termination of that record indicates the loss of valid student status and could require immediate departure from the US on threat of deportation. Multiple sources indicate that two ESU students have already been affected, but The Bulletin has not been able to independently verify that information with the OIE.
Brian Powers, executive director of the OIE, explained to students that neither the University nor students themselves are being notified of their visa revocation or student record termination. University administrators can only learn that a student has been terminated by checking the terminated students list in SEVIS. OIE’s presentation affirmed that they are checking the list multiple times per day and will contact students whose names appear on the list as soon as possible.
There are two main options for students whose records are terminated. A student can leave the country immediately to avoid a potential ban or work with an immigration attorney and OIE to apply for reinstatement of their record.
Students who choose to remain in the country following termination are considered to have an “unlawful presence.” After 180 days, “unlawful presence” results in a three-year ban from the country, and punitive measures increase to 10 years if that stay is extended to a year. By leaving the country, students would avoid this potential ban.
Students who choose to submit a reinstatement application are allowed to continue attending classes as their applications are reviewed, but the adjudication will likely take several months and extract a filing fee of $420. The student must leave the country immediately if their request is denied.
Even if a student does choose to apply for reinstatement, ICE can still initiate removal proceedings while the reinstatement application is pending. Powers, per the presentation, suggests that students consult an experienced immigration attorney to determine the proper course of action.
Powers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
