Foreign Students Get Visas Again – FOR NOW?
The US State Department has resumed issuing visas to Harvard’s international students following a federal court ruling that highlights a clash between national security concerns and academic freedom.
At a Glance
A temporary restraining order was issued by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs on June 6, 2025.
The U.S. State Department directed all consulates to restart processing Harvard student and exchange visas.
Former President Trump’s ban targeted Harvard under national security or ideological pretenses.
Harvard alleges the restrictions were retaliatory, criticizing attempts to control its governance and curriculum.
Other visa-related measures, including expanded social-media vetting, remain in effect.
Legal Showdown
On June 6, 2025, Judge Allison Burroughs of the District of Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order halting a proclamation by President Trump that sought a six-month pause on visas for Harvard-affiliated international students. The court ruled that the move would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” while legal proceedings continue. Earlier, Burroughs had blocked a related effort in late May when the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange
Visitor Program certification.
Federal Reversal & Diplomatic Order
In response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive via diplomatic cable on June 6 instructing U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to resume issuing student and exchange visitor visas to Harvard applicants. This effectively reversed Trump-era restrictions targeting the university on allegedly national security or ideological grounds.
However, the State Department clarified that enhanced vetting procedures—including social-media screenings—remain in place, meaning visa approvals may still face significant scrutiny.
Academic Freedom at Stake
Harvard maintains that the visa and funding restrictions were retaliatory measures aimed at punishing it for resisting federal influence over its governance, curriculum, and faculty ideology. These actions included threats to revoke tax-exempt status and freezes on billions in research funding, raising alarm among defenders of institutional autonomy.
Watch a report: US Judge Halts Trump’s Harvard Student Visa Ban.
Despite the restraining order, ambiguous policy signals persist. The White House has left open the possibility of broader restrictions, and ongoing legal challenges suggest universities like Harvard must remain vigilant.
International Students Breathe—With Caution
For Harvard’s roughly 25–27 percent cohort of international students—some 788 from India alone in 2024–25—the court’s decision and the State Department’s reversal offer significant reprieve. Education consultants in India, welcoming the move as “a vital course correction,” underscore its importance to academic planning and careers.
Still, with continued vetting protocols, reliance on consular discretion and social-media reviews, uncertainty lingers for future visa applicants.