At least a dozen international students at Oklahoma colleges are asking what happens now after they got notice that the federal government is taking away their student visas.
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Sign up for our NewslettersKOCO 5 spoke with an immigration lawyer who’s dealing with one of the cases.
While the colleges called these particular cases “unprecedented,” getting a student visa revoked is nothing new, there are multiple ways that can happen.
The immigration attorney KOCO 5 spoke with, Lorena Rivas, said the frequency in which it’s happening now is seeing an uptick and the reasoning seems to have changed.
“He was given the reason of "security risk,’” Rivas, of Rivas & Associates, said about her client.
That's what Rivas mentioned a student told her on Sunday following the receipt of a letter informing him that his visa was being revoked.
This indicates that he won't be able to complete his doctoral degree at Oklahoma State University anymore.
Visas may be canceled due to offenses such as minor theft, driving under the influence, or various criminal acts.
"It might also imply something such as, due to our belief that you are engaged in specific actions, which includes what was observed with the Tufts University student who expressed their views about the circumstances in Gaza, so it’s quite an ambiguous and broad classification," Rivas stated.
The rationale behind the relocation remains uncertain in this instance, and the student is not alone in this situation.
He is among eight individuals currently at Ohio State University who are attempting to determine their next steps. Additionally, four more students find themselves in comparable circumstances, facing visa revocations at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Although both institutions remained vague about the reasons behind this occurrence, we understand that other students find it unjust.
“Abruptly having their visas revoked seems rather absurd to me,” stated Aaron Stinson, an OSU student.
Rivas mentioned that challenging these revocations can be difficult and might end up drawing unwanted attention to you as an undocumented individual.
"It’s simply a tough choice to make, and the concerns about getting arrested and held captive only intensify this urge. Perhaps I’ll just depart voluntarily," Rivas stated.
Rivas mentioned that this is not a quick procedure.
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Once more, even though students do have an opportunity to apply for reinstatement, this seldom occurs in reality.
Generally, the entire procedure lasts around five months.
You're also prohibited from working or attending classes at that time.
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