Dear Campus Community,
I am writing to update you regarding recent changes to federal immigration and visa policies.
Please remember that each individual’s circumstances are different, and this communication is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. If you have specific questions and hold F, H, or J immigration status, please contact the Center for Global Engagement. If you have specific questions and hold another immigration status, please consult with a private immigration attorney.
1. State Department pause on new student and exchange visitor visa interviews
On May 27, 2025, Politico reported that the U.S. Department of State directed U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to immediately pause adding additional student and exchange visitor visa (F, J, and M categories) interview appointments.
It is not known how long this pause will last. However, a State Department press briefing transcript quoted the department’s spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, as saying the interruption would be “rather quick” and not a matter of weeks or months. The spokesperson also recommended that visa applicants continue to regularly check online for open appointment slots.
Guidance:
- Individuals who already have a visa appointment date confirmed should proceed with their scheduled interview.
- Individuals who do not yet have a visa appointment date confirmed should continue to check online for available appointment slots at their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If an appointment slot is available, then it should be booked immediately.
- If it seems a student or scholar will be unable to secure an appointment in time to begin their program at UMBC, then they or their hosting department should contact the Center for Global Engagement.
2. Enhanced screening and vetting of visa applicants’ social media activities
Related to the pause on new student and exchange visitor visa interviews, the State Department is expanding social media screening and vetting.
Guidance:
- All visa applicants should be prepared for additional questions and delays related to the enhanced screening and vetting of social media accounts.
- Individuals issued a visa must understand that additional searches of social media and electronic devices may occur upon arriving at a U.S. port of entry.
- Review the Campus Message on International Travel for additional information on new, enhanced vetting procedures, including social media screening and searches of electronic devices.
3. Secretary Rubio announces plan to revoke visas of certain Chinese students
On May 28, 2025, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced: “the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”
At this time, it is still not clear when or how these visa revocations will occur. Moreover, Secretary Rubio did not specify which fields are deemed critical.
During the spring 2025 semester, a total of 53 Chinese students enrolled at UMBC. Chinese students and scholars are valued members of our campus community and contribute to our academic endeavors and the cultural vitality of our campus.
The Center for Global Engagement will continue to monitor State Department communications for any updates on this initiative. Additionally, we will continue to review SEVIS records for unusual terminations that may relate to visa revocations and notify impacted students immediately.
Guidance:
- Chinese students and scholars should consult with the Center for Global Engagement before planning travel outside of the United States.
- Any student or scholar who receives a notice from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Department of State announcing revocation of their visa or SEVIS record should immediately notify the Center for Global Engagement.
- Individuals concerned about how visa revocations may impact their ability to study in the United States are encouraged to review a recent resource published by the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which explains the significance of visa revocations and SEVIS terminations. As they note, “visa revocation does not automatically terminate a student’s nonimmigrant status if the student is already present in the United States at the time of revocation. It also does not constitute an order of removal or a requirement to immediately depart.” However, once a student’s visa has been revoked, the student will no longer be able to reenter the United States on the revoked visa.
4. New institutional reporting requirements mandated for exchange visitor program
Institutions approved to sponsor a J-1 exchange visitor program have always been required to report certain incidents involving J-1/J-2 exchange visitors to the Department of State. Such incidents include those that “have or could endanger the health, safety, or welfare of an exchange visitor or otherwise could be expected to bring the Department of State, the Exchange Visitor Program, or the sponsor's exchange visitor program into notoriety or disrepute.”
Examples include serious illness, natural disasters, lost immigration documents, etc. When the Center for Global Engagement becomes aware of a “reportable incident,” we must report it within one business day.
The Department of State recently added three additional categories of incidents that must be reported:
- Proscribed Antisemitic Actions: (e.g., physical actions directed towards Jewish individuals and/or their property, community institutions, or religious facilities that violates the law or university rules)
- Serious Violations of University Conduct Rules: (e.g., participation in a building occupation, participation in an unauthorized encampment, disrupting classes, intimidation, harassment, assault)
- Terrorist Activity, Endorsing or Espousing Terrorism: (e.g., engaging in terrorist activity, membership in a terrorist organization, endorsing or espousing terrorist activity)
These incident reporting requirements only apply to the J Exchange Visitor Program. UMBC exchange visitors are students and scholars whose forms DS-2019 are issued by the university. These expanded categories and reporting requirements do not apply to UMBC international community members in other immigration statuses, such as F-1 and H-1B.
5. USCIS requests biometrics for certain international employees
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently began issuing Requests for Evidence (RFE) for certain employment-based immigration petitions, including H-1B specialty worker visas for international faculty and staff, when the agency has “adverse information” regarding the beneficiary. These RFEs do not disclose the details of such information, but require the beneficiary to submit biometric data.
Guidance:
- International employees should be aware that certain social media activity and legal records, including minor traffic violations, may be considered “adverse information” and result in a request for biometric information. Individuals who fail to respond to an RFE by the stated deadline risk having their petition denied by USCIS.
6. Scams targeting international students
Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a public service announcement warning that scammers are contacting international students claiming there is a problem with their immigration status and demanding a fee to resolve the issue. The announcement provides several tips included in the guidance below.
Guidance:
- Beware of unsolicited communication from someone purporting to be from the government, especially by phone. Verify you are speaking with a government official by hanging up and contacting the office through a third-party obtained number (e.g., web search for legitimate contact information), then asking for the agent or department with whom you were speaking.
- Verify that the website visited is a secure or encrypted site, as government websites are.
- Repeating top-level domains in a URL is a common scam to make a website appear legitimate (e.g. "gov.org" in a URL is a spoof of the .gov top-level domain).
- Do not provide information on the phone until you verify the identity of the caller.
- If you believe you are the target of a government impersonation scam targeting international students, gather all relevant documentation and contact diplomatic security at your home country's embassy, the FBI, or Bureau of Diplomatic Security at the Department of State.
- Do not give anyone a two-factor authentication code used to log-in to an account or device.
- Do not download files to your phone or computer unless you have verified the source.
Additional information and resources related to immigration and other federal policy updates are available on UMBC’s Federal Orders and Actions Page.
Sincerely,
David L. Di Maria
Vice Provost for Global Engagement