Update on International Students and Scholars

Dear Penn Community,

We are aware of reports that international students at universities across the U.S. have received emails from the State Department notifying them that their visas have been revoked and urging them to ‘self-deport.’

ISSS is actively monitoring the situation to verify such reports. ISSS will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Here is what we know as of today:

• There are approximately 1.1 million international students studying in the U.S. According to Secretary Rubio, at least 300 visas have been revoked—roughly 0.03% of student visas. Revoking visas is extremely rare.
• ISSS is not aware of any Penn student or scholar who has had their visa revoked or been affected by a ‘self-deport’ alert.
• ISSS has contacted the State Department for clarification, but they referred us to their media statements, which do not confirm the number of visas revoked or provide specific reasons for the revocations.
• As of today (April 1, 2025), the government has not officially announced any travel bans.

If you receive unexpected communication from the U.S. government regarding your visa status, contact ISSS immediately. Do not respond or take action without consulting ISSS.

Please forward relevant messages immediately to Rudie Altamirano, ISSS Executive Director at rudiea@upenn.edu.

Remember: Scammers may attempt to impersonate government officials to exploit international students.

This is a stressful time for international students and scholars. We are in communication with government officials to convey how unsettling these policies are for our community.

Policies and pronouncements are changing day to day. ISSS is closely monitoring developments and will keep you informed with timely updates.

Sincerely,

Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives
Amy Gadsden, Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives