According to the University of Oregon, four of their international students have had their visas revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
In a statement sent to KLCC, a university official explained that the visas were revoked on the basis of unspecified criminal charges. The four students, who are all on good academic standing, have 15 days to leave the country unless they find another legal pathway for staying.
The university says it was not given advance notice before the revocation. They are now working with the students to provide legal advice and general guidance.
According to UO spokesperson Eric Howald, revocations like these are extremely rare. “The vice provost of global engagement has not seen an incident like this in his 20 years in the field,” Howald wrote.
International students come to the University of Oregon from more than 90 countries. The university said there are approximately 800 students at the school using the type of visa that was revoked.
The federal government maintains a database of students and scholars on different visas. One of the visas they track are F-1 visas which are usually granted to international students enrolled in a university.
A tracker created by Inside Higher Ed has identified more than 80 colleges that have seen visa revocations for over 300 students and recent graduates. KUOW reports that at least 14 students in Washington state have been affected.
According to The Guardian, some of the students had their visas revoked over minor infractions like traffic violations.
