Judge Blocks Federal Government's Rule Limiting Student Visas

On September 13, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked a U.S. Department of Homeland Security rule that would have limited international student and scholar visas to four years. The rule will not be applied while litigation continues.

This move is another attempt by the federal government to dictate to Harvard and other universities who can study and conduct research at their institutions. Because many Ph.D. programs and research projects run longer than four years, the DHS's rule would essentially eliminate U.S. universities from consideration when international students and scholars are considering where to apply.

As President Garber has made clear, losing Harvard's international students and scholars would deal a severe blow to the University because we would no longer attract and develop the most promising students and researchers from throughout the world. As District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV wrote in his scathing opinion, the tens of millions of foreign students who have studied in the U.S. have helped produce “groundbreaking research in science, medicine, and technology, substantial economic growth, and a host of other benefits.”

The case against the rule was brought by multiple plaintiffs, led by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, of which President Garber is a member.

Graphic displays most-recent information available (2024) from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.