Harvard can no longer enrol, sponsor visas for int'l students: What happens to 788 Indian students already on campus?

Nearly 800 Indian students at Harvard University are facing a wave of uncertainty after the US government revoked the institution's authority to enrol international students. The decision, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, strips Harvard of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which is essential for issuing visa documents to foreign nationals.

According to Harvard’s official website, between 500 to 800 Indian students and scholars are enrolled at the university each year. The current count stands at 788, all of whom must now explore urgent transfer options or risk falling out of legal status in the United States.

The DHS action follows allegations that Harvard failed to comply with federal demands to share disciplinary records and protest-related documentation involving international students. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the university was “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies and employs racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ policies.”

What about the students?

The revocation will take effect from the 2025–26 academic year, meaning Indian students who are set to graduate this semester will not be affected.

However, those in multi-year programs, including research scholars and graduate students, must either transfer to another SEVP-certified institution or leave the country. Students who fail to do so will risk violating their visa conditions and facing deportation.

Harvard, in response, has called the action “unlawful and disruptive” to its academic mission. A university spokesperson said, “We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community.” The university is expected to challenge the DHS decision in court.

Secretary Noem stated that Harvard could regain its SEVP status if it complies within 72 hours by submitting records of student protests, footage, and any documentation of unlawful activities by international students over the past five years.

Why the sudden move by Trump?

This move is the latest escalation in a broader standoff between the Trump administration and the Ivy League institution. Earlier this year, Harvard declined to implement federal directives aimed at dismantling diversity initiatives and curbing pro-Palestinian activism. Since then, multiple agencies have frozen more than $2.6 billion in federal research funding to the university.

The decision also has wider implications for the Indian student community, which forms one of the largest international groups in the US higher education system. Many Indian students choose Harvard for its academic prestige and research opportunities. With Harvard’s visa-issuing powers revoked, their educational and professional pathways in the US now hang in the balance.