Visas of 6 UNC Charlotte international students restored after federal reversal
The visas of six UNC Charlotte international students have been restored after initially being terminated by the Trump administration, according to a university spokesperson.
The university is communicating with the students and recommends they continue to work with immigration attorneys for guidance, the spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer Monday.
The six students, who are citizens of India and Nigeria, learned their visas had been terminated early this month. The termination reason was listed as either “Otherwise Failing to Maintain Status” or “Other,” according to the university. UNC Charlotte said it didn’t receive direct communication about the reason for the terminations.
International students are required to obtain visas to enroll and study at colleges around the United States. They’re assigned records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS. It’s a federal database maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The six UNC Charlotte students’ SEVIS records were initially terminated — meaning they no longer had legal status and could be subject to deportation. The university said it doesn’t know if any of the six students left the country before their status was restored.
The reversals come after the U.S. Department of Justice announced in federal court Friday morning it planned to restore the status of students who were impacted by those actions, Politico reported.
The Justice Department walked back the visa revocations following dozens of restraining orders issued by judges who said the mass termination of SEVIS records is illegal.
Six UNC Chapel Hill students have also had their visas reinstated, The News and Observer reported.
UNC Charlotte has the third highest international student population of any institution in North Carolina, with nearly 3,400 international students. It follows Duke University and North Carolina State University in first and second, respectively. In total, NC has nearly 24,500 international students — the 15th most in the country.
News & Observer reporter Korie Dean contributed reporting.
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Visas of 6 UNC Charlotte international students restored after federal reversal."
