The federal government reinstated four international MTSU student visas that had been revoked April 5, but they are not guaranteed admission for this fall.
The United States Justice Department announced on Friday the reversal of the Trump administration’s cancellations of more than 1,500 student visas that originally targeted college students who took part in pro-Palestinian protests, but it spread to students with years-old traffic violations.
Six international students at MTSU had their student visas revoked on April 5, following the Trump administration and the Department of Defense’s initiative to deport college students.
The university has already begun reaching out to the four students, according to Jimmy Hart, director of MTSU news and media relations.
“We are unsure [whether the students can return next semester] because status and visa are two different things,” Hart said. “Visa allows entry into a country, whereas status describes their legal standing while here.”
Students who have already returned to their home country may face challenges in returning to the U.S. in time for the fall semester.
“Any student that has returned to their home country will require an active visa before they are eligible for reentry into the United States,” Hart said. “But we are not aware of the current state of these student visas.”
Though MTSU administration is unaware of the exact accommodations, some of the international students’ professors let them work remotely, Hart said.
Over 100 lawsuits were filed across 23 states by students, universities and advocacy organizations following the federal government’s revocation of international student visas. MTSU, however, did not file any.
Sidelines does not currently know the status of the other two international students who had their visas revoked.
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