JakartaPost-Apr 14
The Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC urged Indonesian students to stay cautious amid concerns over possible cancellations of the United States visa for international students. Recent reports suggest that more than 525 students, lecturers and researchers from over 80 universities across the US have had their visas revoked this year. This number is higher than the figure from US State Secretary Marco Rubio in March, who said that his department had canceled over 300 visas, most of them student visas. “In light of increased monitoring and enforcement of regulations on international student visas by US immigration, all Indonesian students holding F-1 and/or J-1 visas are advised to exercise greater caution,” the Indonesian Embassy stated on its official Instagram account, @IndonesianDC. The F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa granted to international students pursuing academic studies in the US while the J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreign nationals to come to the US to study, teach, conduct research or participate in work-based programs. Under previous regulations, students whose visas were revoked could still continue their studies, as their legal stay was not immediately affected. It mainly limited international travel, and students could reapply through the State Department. However, under the new policy, revoking a visa can now impact their legal status entirely, requiring them to leave the US immediately or risk detention by immigration authorities. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has also ordered US visa officers around the world to check applicants’ social media for their criticism against the Zionist regime. Any foreigners wanting to enter the US are also subject to a social media check at the ports of entry for any criticism of Israel. To avoid potential risks, Indonesian students in the US are advised to follow all immigration rules, including not returning to the US without a valid F-1 or J-1 visa. The students should ensure their immigration status is secure before traveling internationally or making major decisions and always keep their I-20/DS-2019 forms and passports valid. Read more at:
