Can Indian and foreign students stay at Harvard? Here are the 6 conditions they must fulfill within 3 days

Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
| Photo Credit: Steven Senne

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially suspended Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This means Harvard is temporarily barred from enrolling international students under F-1 and J-1 visas, a move that has sparked serious concern across academic and diplomatic circles. 

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In response, the DHS has given Harvard 72 hours to comply with six stringent conditions that, if fulfilled, could reinstate its SEVP certification.

What are the six conditions Harvard must meet?

1. Any and all records, whether official or informal, in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding illegal activity, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student in the last five years.
2. Any and all records in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding dangerous or violent activity, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student in the last five years.
3. Any and all records in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding threats to other students or university personnel, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student in the last five years.
4. Any and all records in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student enrolled in the last five years.
5. Any and all disciplinary records of all non-immigrant students enrolled in the last five years.
6. Any and all audio or video footage in the possession of Harvard University of any protest activity involving a non-immigrant student on a Harvard University campus in the last five years.

How does this impact Indian students at Harvard?

Currently, 788 Indian students are enrolled at Harvard across various graduate programmes. With the SEVP status suspended, these students risk losing their legal visa status unless Harvard’s certification is reinstated or they transfer to another SEVP-certified institution.

What is next? 

Harvard University has called the decision “arbitrary, damaging, and without due process.” It assured international students that it is taking all necessary steps to meet DHS’s demands and is seeking legal counsel to challenge the decision if required. The following 72 hours are critical. If Harvard submits the required documentation and meets DHS’s six-point criteria, its ability to host international students may be restored. Otherwise, thousands of students, including hundreds from India, could face academic and immigration uncertainty.

“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said in a statement.