Photo by Matthew Schmitz.
The federal government revoked a UAA student’s visa, according to a communication from University of Alaska President Pat Pitney.
Pitney wrote, “This week, we learned that the federal government has revoked visas for four individuals affiliated with UAA — one current student and three recent graduates in post-graduation training — without prior notice.”
The communication was emailed to UAA community members on Monday, April 14.
The Northern Light reached out to the University of Alaska to find out if any of the impacted individuals have been ordered to leave the U.S.
University of Alaska spokesperson Jonathon Taylor responded by email.
He wrote, “If the revocation includes a change in immigration/student status in SEVIS (the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program), there is generally no grace period for the requirement to depart from the U.S.”
Taylor did not provide any details of if the SEVIS status for the impacted individuals had changed.
Taylor encouraged people impacted to consult an attorney.
“Since everyone's situation is unique, we continue to encourage impacted students to consult an immigration attorney to get advice on their specific circumstances,” he wrote.
According to guidance from the University of Alaska, revocation of visas normally happens under extreme circumstances and revocation does not necessarily mean that affected students need to leave the country or stop their studies at UAA.
The guidance states that if a visa is revoked, “You may continue to live in the U.S. and study at your educational institution of record so long as you maintain your applicable student eligibility materials, such as your I-20 or DS-2019 form.”
The guidance continues, “Visa revocation itself does not result in deportation, but if your visa is revoked based on your alleged actions or activities, you may be at a higher risk for further immigration action.”
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