International Students
Harvard and the Biden Administration
As Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th U.S. president Wednesday, a team of Crimson reporters explored how the Biden administration will affect international students, admissions, labor, and everything in between at Harvard. Here's a look at how the Biden administration will reshape the University — and what role Harvard will play in shaping it.
Undergraduate Council Petition Urges College to Strengthen Support for International Students
Harvard’s Undergraduate Council launched a petition Tuesday calling on the College to strengthen support for international students during the spring semester.
Covid-19 Sends Students Home, Ushers in Remote Learning
Five days after waking up to a March 10 email informing them of Harvard’s decision to de-densify campus, most College students found themselves uprooted from residential life and scattered across the globe.
Bacow Asks Biden to ‘Act Without Delay’ to Grant Visa Leniency to International Students
University President Lawrence S. Bacow penned a letter to President-elect Joe Biden on Monday asking him to instate new immigration policies that protect international students.
Harvard Students Enrolled At Oxford Say They Enjoy An Abnormal Return to Campus Life
The coronavirus-era has not precluded Harvard students enrolled at the University of Oxford from enjoying a somewhat normal fall term.
Far from Cambridge, Students Balance Remote Classes, Virtual Social Lives, and an Uncertain Future
Harvard’s decision to house mostly first-year students for the fall semester motivated many upperclassmen students to search for off-campus housing.
Unable to Return Home, Harvard Students Brace for Winter on Campus
While most Harvard students who spent the semester on campus have now departed for the year, those remaining in the dorms are bracing to spend Thanksgiving mostly alone, with some even preparing to ride out the winter in Cambridge.
Biden Victory Elicits Relief and Reservations Among Student Advocates
Following President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s election, many of Harvard’s student affinity and advocacy groups expressed both relief and reservations about the incoming administration.
International Students Express Relief Over Biden Win
International students said they felt “immense” relief over President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s projected electoral victory on Saturday, marking the end of a five-day saga full of anticipation, chaos, and uncertainty.
Harvard Kennedy School Students Grapple with Spring 2021 Decision
Harvard Kennedy School students say they are conflicted about spring plans following the school’s decision to offer in-person classes for international students in the spring.
Harvard Undergraduate Council Condemns DHS Proposal Restricting Student Visas
Harvard’s Undergraduate Council passed two pieces of legislation Sunday to endorse a letter condemning a proposed U.S. Department of Homeland Security rule that would impose new time limits on student visas.
'Harvard Has Suffered,' Chief Officer for International Affairs Says of Visa Troubles for International Students
Vice Provost for International Affairs Mark C. Elliott denounced a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security rule that would reduce how much time international students would be able to spend inside the United States in an interview Thursday.
HGSU-UAW Urges Harvard to Oppose Trump Visa Rule Change
Organizers for Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers are circulating a petition that calls on Vice Provost for International Affairs Mark C. Elliott and the Harvard International Office to act in opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed visa policy change for international students.
A ‘Huge Opportunity Cost’: International Students Navigate Midnight Classes, Limited Extracurricular Opportunities
Last spring, Amy M. Zhou ’21 went to sleep at 2 a.m., woke up at 6 a.m., went back to sleep at noon, and woke up at 4 p.m. each day. Classes had transitioned online, and Zhou had to accommodate Cambridge timetables from 14 time zones away.
Kennedy School Students Grapple with Remote Learning Challenges in the Fall Semester
Following the Harvard Kennedy School’s decision to conduct an entirely online fall semester, students at the school are navigating novel challenges from time zones to child care in order to adapt to their new normal.
Study Away Option Prompts Mixed Reactions from International Students
International students who planned to pursue their studies at their local universities have grappled with grueling applications, uncertainty over the transferability of their class credits, and conflicting deadlines.
Due to Federal Visa Restrictions, International Freshmen Will Not Be Allowed on Campus in the Fall
International freshmen will not be able to come to campus this fall due to federal visa restrictions, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana wrote to undergraduates Tuesday afternoon.
Harvard Will Allow International Students to Study at Universities in Their Home Countries This Fall
Harvard College will allow returning international students to transfer credits from an accredited university in their home country to Harvard this fall, director of the Office of International Education Camila L. Nardozzi wrote in an email to undergraduates living outside the United States Wednesday.
ICE and DHS Assert ‘Discretion’ to Make Policy Changes In Response to Harvard-MIT Lawsuit
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security filed their response Monday to a lawsuit brought by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology arguing that though the universities disagree with new rules, they are not illegal.
DHS and ICE Rescind Policy Barring International Students Taking Online Courses
The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have agreed to rescind a policy that would bar international students taking online-only courses from residing in the United States, federal judge Allison D. Burroughs announced at a hearing on Tuesday.
Survey Shows ICE Policy Would Have Cost International Students Average of $23,000 Each
Under the policy — which the government agreed to rescind on Tuesday — international students would have been required to transfer to a college or university offering in-person courses or leave the country. If they do not, they risk facing “immigration consequences” including “removal proceedings.”
‘Devastating’ and ‘Impossible’: Harvard, MIT Students Submit Declarations in ICE Lawsuit
Four Harvard students and four MIT students attested in sworn declarations submitted to the Massachusetts District Court on Monday that new Immigration and Customs Enforcement rules would have "devastating" and "impossible" effects on their lives.
Harvard Affiliates, Other Colleges and Universities File Amicus Briefs In Support of ICE Lawsuit
Ahead of a Tuesday hearing, supporters within and outside Harvard have begun to prepare and file amicus briefs in the University’s lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.
Undergraduate Council Unanimously Votes to Join Amicus Brief in Harvard-MIT Lawsuit Against ICE
The Undergraduate Council unanimously adopted legislation on July 12 to join an amicus brief in support of the ongoing Harvard-MIT lawsuit against immigration authorities, alongside student body representative groups from 15 other universities.
New ICE Student Restrictions, All-Remote Harvard Plan Create ‘Nightmare Situation’ For International Students
Abdullah M. Bannan ’23, a Syrian Harvard student, took a circuitous route to campus his freshman year. He drove from Syria to Lebanon, then flew to Italy, and finally transferred to the U.S. — a 30-hour trip in total.