F-1 Academic Students
F visas are suspended for covered nationals of all full- and partial-suspension countries, subject to the proclamation’s scope limitations and exceptions.
F-1, M-1, and J-1 Travel Restrictions
Student Visa Restrictions Under Presidential Proclamation 10998
Presidential Proclamation 10998 suspends F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visa issuance and entry for covered nationals of both the full-suspension and partial-suspension country groups. The restriction generally applies only when the person was outside the United States and lacked a valid visa on January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
A university admission, Form I-20, Form DS-2019, scholarship, assistantship, or SEVIS record does not override the proclamation. A student may still qualify through valid-visa protection, lawful permanent residence, dual nationality, an official classification, or case-by-case national-interest relief supported by the school, research institution, government program, or other affected U.S. organization.
Students already inside the United States should obtain individual advice before departure. A student may maintain lawful status inside the country yet be unable to obtain a new visa or return after international travel.
Current proclamationProclamation 10998
Effective dateJanuary 1, 2026
Last legal reviewAugust 3, 2026
Covered classesF, M, and J visas
Current Rule
Which Student and Exchange Visas Are Restricted?
M-1 Vocational Students
M visas are suspended for covered nationals of the same country groups, including students entering for vocational or other recognized nonacademic programs.
J-1 Exchange Visitors
J visas are suspended for covered nationals, including many students, scholars, professors, researchers, physicians, trainees, interns, teachers, and other exchange categories.
F-2, M-2, and J-2
Dependent visa classifications should be analyzed with the principal’s nationality, passport, visa status, and the proclamation’s applicable class restrictions.
Turkmenistan Nonimmigrants
Proclamation 10998 lifted the earlier nonimmigrant suspension for Turkmenistan, while retaining its immigrant-visa restriction.
Other Education-Related Visas
H-3, Q, R, B, or another category may have different coverage, but a person cannot select a classification that does not accurately fit the program or activity.
Admission to a U.S. school is not an exception. The Form I-20 or DS-2019 establishes eligibility to apply for the classification; it does not remove a presidential entry suspension.
Covered Countries
Full and Partial F, M, and J Visa Suspensions
All Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visas
Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
F, M, and J visas are included because all nonimmigrant categories are suspended for covered nationals of these countries.
Immigrant Visas Plus B, F, M, and J
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Many temporary worker classifications are not listed, but F, M, and J visas are expressly suspended.
Palestinian Authority travel documents: Proclamation 10998 also fully suspends entry and visa issuance for persons seeking to use travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority, subject to its scope and exceptions.
Scope Test
When Does Proclamation 10998 Apply to a Student?
Covered Nationality or Document
The student is a national of a designated country or seeks to use a covered Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel document.
Outside the United States
The student was outside the United States on January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST.
No Valid Visa
The student did not hold a valid visa at the applicable effective time.
Valid Visa at the Effective Time
A covered student with a valid visa on the effective date falls outside the proclamation’s stated scope, even if the visa later expires.
Inside the United States
A student physically present inside the country at the effective time does not satisfy the proclamation’s outside-the-United-States condition.
Later Departure
Being outside scope on the effective date does not ensure that a student with an expired or revoked visa can obtain a new visa or return after future travel.
Preserve the historical record. Keep copies of the visa, passport, I-94, travel history, and evidence of physical location on January 1, 2026. These facts may decide whether the proclamation applies.
Available Exceptions
How Can a Covered Student Avoid or Overcome the Restriction?
Lawful Permanent Resident
An LPR is expressly excepted, although a green card holder ordinarily does not need an F, M, or J visa for study or exchange participation.
Dual National
A genuine dual national may qualify by applying and traveling on a valid passport issued by a non-designated country.
Official Visa Classification
A traveler with a valid listed A, C, G, or NATO visa may qualify for the official-travel exception, but that classification must fit the actual program and purpose.
Major Sporting Event
A student athlete, team member, coach, necessary support person, or immediate relative may qualify when traveling for a covered major sporting event.
National-Interest Exception
State or DHS may grant case-by-case relief when the individual travel would serve a United States national interest.
Admission or Scholarship
Acceptance, tuition payment, scholarship, assistantship, or school sponsorship can support national-interest evidence but is not itself a categorical exception.
National-Interest Requests
What Student or Research Cases May Warrant Discretionary Relief?
Government-Funded Research
Research funded or sponsored by a U.S. agency may establish a direct governmental interest when the applicant’s participation is necessary.
Critical Technology or Infrastructure
Energy, cybersecurity, semiconductors, health systems, transportation, communications, water, manufacturing, or other critical work may support a strong theory.
Public Health and Medicine
Medical research, clinical training, public-health response, specialized patient care, or important health-science work may be relevant.
Unique Research Contribution
Proprietary data, field experience, rare language ability, technical methods, laboratory expertise, or prior project work may show individual necessity.
Government or Institutional Obligation
A grant deadline, agency deliverable, accreditation requirement, public contract, or institutional commitment may create a measurable U.S. interest.
Critical Workforce Training
Programs addressing a documented shortage, licensed profession, national laboratory, or public-service workforce may carry broader significance.
Time-Sensitive Experiment
Seasonal fieldwork, laboratory access, patient cohort, launch window, telescope time, equipment schedule, or expiring data may establish urgency.
Exchange Program With Public Purpose
A J-1 program may involve government cooperation, diplomacy, teaching, cultural exchange, medicine, research, or another documented national objective.
Student Athlete at Covered Event
When the event itself is covered, use the categorical sporting exception before relying solely on a discretionary academic or athletic theory.
Personal educational benefit is usually not enough by itself. The submission should identify the affected U.S. institution, project, public objective, timing, applicant’s required contribution, and why deferral or substitution is inadequate.
Institutional Support
What the University or Program Letter Should Explain
Program Identification
State the degree, exchange category, department, laboratory, principal investigator, sponsor, campus, and SEVIS program information.
Exact Start and Last Arrival Date
Identify orientation, registration, course start, laboratory onboarding, clinical rotation, and the last date the institution can accept arrival.
Applicant’s Individual Role
Explain the student’s prior work, methods, expertise, assistantship, responsibilities, data access, teaching, or research contribution.
United States Interest
Connect the program to government funding, public health, technology, infrastructure, workforce, scientific advancement, or another concrete U.S. objective.
Why Remote Participation Fails
Describe laboratory, equipment, clinical, security, teaching, fieldwork, licensure, or cohort requirements that require physical presence.
Why Deferral Fails
Explain grant, funding, assistantship, cohort, accreditation, immigration age, experiment, or program constraints making postponement materially harmful.
Why Another Person Cannot Substitute
Identify project history, unique expertise, prior selection, funding conditions, language, credentials, or team dependencies.
Consequences of Nonentry
Document lost grant funds, delayed research, cancelled teaching, unmet deliverables, affected patients, disrupted teams, or other U.S. harm.
Responsible Official
The letter should come from a dean, DSO, RO/ARO, principal investigator, department chair, program director, government official, or another knowledgeable person.
F-1 and M-1 Basics
Form I-20, SEVIS, and Student Visa Eligibility Still Matter
SEVP-Certified School
The institution must be authorized to enroll the student in the applicable F or M category.
Current Form I-20
The student needs a properly issued Form I-20 with accurate program, school, funding, biographical, and dependent information.
I-901 SEVIS Fee
Payment must be associated with the correct SEVIS record and remain usable under current fee rules.
Financial Ability
Scholarships, assistantships, family funds, loans, sponsorship, and other resources should credibly cover tuition and living expenses.
Nonimmigrant Intent
The student must satisfy INA §214(b) and the applicable residence and temporary-purpose requirements, separate from the proclamation.
Correct Program Type
Academic study generally uses F classification, while qualifying vocational or nonacademic study generally uses M classification.
No Study on Visitor Visa
A person entering as a B visitor or through the Visa Waiver Program may not begin a course of study requiring F or M status.
Entry Timing
Initial students must comply with the permitted arrival window and should coordinate any late arrival or deferral with the DSO.
Program Changes
Transfer, level change, reinstatement, leave, termination, reduced course load, or a new SEVIS ID can alter visa and return eligibility.
J-1 Exchange Visitors
Form DS-2019, Sponsor Rules, and INA §212(e)
Designated Program Sponsor
The J-1 must be accepted into an exchange program designated for the appropriate category.
Current Form DS-2019
The form must accurately identify the sponsor, category, dates, funding, field, site, and dependents.
SEVIS and Fee
The applicant must have a valid SEVIS record and satisfy the I-901 fee requirement unless a specific exemption applies.
Category-Specific Activity
A student, research scholar, professor, intern, trainee, physician, teacher, or other participant must remain within the category’s rules.
Two-Year Home Residence Requirement
INA §212(e) may apply based on government funding, graduate medical education, or the applicable Skills List and is separate from the proclamation.
Waiver of §212(e)
A J-1 waiver process does not remove Proclamation 10998, and a proclamation exception does not waive the two-year requirement.
Program Start and Validation
The sponsor should address late arrival, initial validation, transfer, extension, and whether the program remains available.
Government-Sponsored Exchange
Official U.S. government sponsorship may strengthen the national-interest record but does not automatically create the proclamation’s official-visa exception.
J-2 Dependents
Each dependent needs proper documentation and an independent proclamation analysis based on nationality, passport, and visa history.
Students Already in the United States
Leaving the Country Can Create a New Visa and Reentry Problem
Status Can Continue With an Expired Visa
A student may remain in lawful F, M, or J status through the authorized period even when the visa stamp expires after admission.
Visa Needed for Return
After departure, the student generally needs a valid visa for return unless a narrow visa-exempt or automatic-revalidation rule applies.
New Visa May Be Suspended
A student from a covered country who lacked a valid visa at the effective time may be unable to receive a new F, M, or J visa without an exception.
Departure During OPT or Practical Training
Travel requires current SEVIS documentation and may require an EAD, employment evidence, valid visa, and proof that the student remains eligible to return.
Change of Status Approval
An approval inside the United States changes status but does not place a visa in the passport. Consular processing may still be required after departure.
Pending Applications
Departure can affect a pending change, extension, reinstatement, OPT, adjustment, or other application depending on the filing and governing rule.
Do Not Leave the United States Merely Because the School Issued a Travel Signature
A DSO or sponsor travel endorsement confirms institutional and SEVIS information. It does not guarantee visa issuance, a proclamation exception, airline boarding, or CBP readmission.
Reentry Documents
What Continuing F and M Students Generally Need
Current Passport
The passport generally must remain valid for the required period, subject to country-specific passport-validity agreements.
Valid Visa
The student generally needs a current F or M visa unless visa exempt or eligible for a narrow automatic-revalidation rule.
Travel-Endorsed Form I-20
The DSO should sign the current I-20 for travel and verify that the SEVIS record is accurate and active.
Financial Evidence
Carry proof of funds for tuition and living expenses, including scholarship, assistantship, sponsor, bank, or loan evidence.
Enrollment Evidence
Bring transcript, enrollment verification, class schedule, school letter, and evidence of continued academic progress.
OPT or Practical Training Records
Carry the EAD, employment or training letter, current I-20 notation, and evidence that the training relates to the program.
Short Absence
SEVP guidance generally discusses continuing students returning after travel of five months or fewer; longer absence can require a new SEVIS analysis.
Automatic Visa Revalidation
Some students may return after a qualifying short trip to a contiguous territory with an expired visa, but strict exclusions apply and applying for a new visa during the trip generally defeats revalidation.
CBP Admission
CBP makes the final admission decision based on the documents and circumstances presented at the port of entry.
Expanded Screening
Online-Presence Review for F, M, and J Visa Applicants
All F, M, and J Applicants
The State Department states that student and exchange visitor visa applicants in these classifications are subject to online-presence review.
Application Consistency
Public profiles, biographies, education, employment, affiliations, research, travel, and statements should be consistent with the DS application and supporting documents.
Do Not Delete or Conceal
Artificially changing, hiding, or deleting information to influence screening can create credibility concerns and may preserve evidence poorly.
Organizations and Activity
Political, military, religious, social, student, research, or professional affiliations may receive scrutiny depending on the facts and applicable law.
Technical Research
Laboratory, AI, aerospace, nuclear, biological, cybersecurity, semiconductor, defense, and other technical work may trigger additional screening.
Administrative Processing
Online review, security checks, technology alerts, identity questions, and government clearances can delay issuance independently of the proclamation.
National-interest evidence does not eliminate screening. A case can receive proclamation relief and remain under INA §221(g) administrative processing for security, technology, identity, or documentation reasons.
Interview Strategy
Questions the Student Should Be Ready to Answer
Why This School and Program?
Explain the curriculum, faculty, facilities, research, professional goals, and why the choice is credible and specific.
How Will You Pay?
Identify tuition, living costs, funding sources, scholarship, assistantship, sponsor income, and access to funds.
What Will You Study or Research?
Describe the field accurately without hiding technical details or using unexplained jargon.
Why Must You Arrive Now?
Identify the start date, laboratory schedule, assistantship, orientation, clinical or field requirement, and last permissible arrival.
What Is the U.S. National Interest?
State the institutional or public purpose and the applicant’s contribution without claiming that personal education alone is a national interest.
Why Will You Depart?
Explain career plans, family, residence, professional obligations, funding terms, and the temporary nature of the program where required.
The DS application, school letter, research description, social media, CV, and interview answers should tell the same factual story. Material inconsistency can create a separate refusal or misrepresentation issue.
Legal Memorandum
Recommended Structure for a Student National-Interest Request
Identify the applicant and program
State nationality, passport, visa class, school or sponsor, SEVIS ID, degree or exchange category, start date, location, funding, and requested travel.
Analyze proclamation coverage
Identify the country group, effective-date facts, valid visa, physical location, dual nationality, LPR status, official classification, and any sporting exception.
Establish current visa eligibility
Provide the I-20 or DS-2019, SEVIS fee, finances, academic or program purpose, nonimmigrant intent, and category-specific evidence.
Define the United States national interest
Identify government funding, public health, technology, infrastructure, research, workforce, diplomacy, teaching, or another concrete national objective.
Prove individual necessity
Explain the applicant’s prior work, project role, methods, expertise, data, language, funding, or responsibilities and why another person cannot substitute.
Prove timing and failed alternatives
Document start dates, last arrival, grant or cohort limits, remote restrictions, deferral consequences, and why postponement is inadequate.
Address screening and separate barriers
Review online presence, technical field, INA §214(b), INA §212(a), INA §212(e), administrative processing, prior refusals, and SEVIS history.
Request precise treatment
Ask for recognition of a scope or categorical exception or, alternatively, case-by-case national-interest consideration and visa adjudication.
Evidence Checklist
Documents for a Student Visa Restriction Review
Passport and Visa History
Current and prior passports, visas, refusal sheets, revocation notices, entry stamps, I-94 records, and effective-date evidence.
Form I-20 or DS-2019
All current and prior forms, travel signatures, program dates, transfer or extension records, and dependent forms.
SEVIS Records
I-901 receipt, SEVIS fee transfer, status history, termination, reinstatement, transfer, practical training, and school or sponsor correspondence.
Admission and Academic Records
Admission letter, transcript, degrees, test scores, prerequisites, class schedule, orientation, and academic progress.
Funding Evidence
Scholarship, assistantship, grant, bank statements, sponsor support, loans, tuition payments, stipend, and living-expense budget.
Research Evidence
Proposal, grant, publications, CV, project plan, laboratory letter, equipment schedule, government funding, and institutional impact.
National-Interest Support
Letters from the university, principal investigator, government agency, hospital, laboratory, program sponsor, or other affected U.S. institution.
Urgency and Alternatives
Last-arrival date, cohort or grant rules, deferral record, remote-learning limits, replacement analysis, and consequences of delay.
Adverse or Sensitive Records
Arrests, military service, affiliations, prior status violations, unauthorized work, technical screening, social-media discrepancies, and waiver records.
Common Problems
Why Student Exception Requests Fail
Admission Letter Treated as an Exception
The submission assumes acceptance automatically overrides the proclamation without identifying a scope provision or discretionary authority.
Personal Benefit Only
The request explains the student’s career goals but not a concrete United States interest.
Generic University Letter
The school confirms admission but does not explain project importance, individual necessity, timing, or consequences of nonentry.
No Valid-Visa Analysis
The student may already be outside the proclamation’s scope, but the prior visa and effective-date history are not presented.
Weak Individual Necessity
The evidence does not explain why the project needs this student rather than another researcher, assistant, or later cohort.
Deferral Is Available
The institution can defer admission without meaningful project, funding, or public harm, weakening the urgency claim.
SEVIS or Document Defect
The I-20, DS-2019, fee, program date, sponsor, transfer, or SEVIS status is inaccurate or no longer valid.
Online Record Is Inconsistent
Public profiles, affiliations, research descriptions, or employment conflict with the application or interview.
Separate Legal Bar Is Ignored
INA §214(b), INA §212(a), §212(e), administrative processing, prior overstay, unauthorized employment, or another problem remains unresolved.
After Refusal
What to Do if the Student Visa or Exception Was Not Granted
Identify the Refusal Basis
Determine whether the case was refused under the proclamation, INA §214(b), INA §221(g), INA §212(a), or several authorities.
Correct a Scope Error
Present valid-visa, physical-location, dual-national, LPR, official, or sporting-event evidence when the proclamation was applied incorrectly.
Complete §221(g) Requirements
Submit requested documents, questionnaires, research information, social-media details, or other screening material within the post’s instructions.
Strengthen Institutional Evidence
Add a detailed letter explaining the U.S. interest, project, applicant’s role, urgency, alternatives, and measurable consequences.
Defer or Obtain New Documents
Coordinate a new program date, I-20 or DS-2019, SEVIS record, funding, assistantship, and last-arrival date when the original term can no longer be entered.
Request Reconsideration
A focused legal submission may address overlooked evidence, incorrect law, changed circumstances, or a materially stronger national-interest case.
Archived Institution-Specific Rule
Presidential Proclamation 10948 and Harvard University
Issued June 4, 2025
Proclamation 10948 restricted entry of certain new F, M, and J nonimmigrants entering to attend Harvard University through SEVP.
Six-Month Duration
The proclamation stated that the suspension would expire six months after issuance absent extension.
No Official Extension Identified
No extension was identified in the official sources reviewed through August 3, 2026. This page therefore treats Proclamation 10948 as expired and archived, not a current independent restriction.
Archive notice: institution-specific litigation, SEVP certification, visa revocation, or another later action could present a separate issue. Confirm current school-specific agency and court status before relying solely on the expiration of Proclamation 10948.
Frequently Asked Questions
Student Visa Restriction FAQ
Which student visas are restricted by Proclamation 10998?
F, M, and J visas are suspended for covered nationals of all full- and partial-suspension countries, subject to the proclamation’s scope limitations and exceptions.
Can a covered student still apply and attend an interview?
Yes. State Department guidance says covered applicants may submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but they may remain ineligible for issuance or admission without applicable relief.
Does a Form I-20 or DS-2019 create an exception?
No. These forms establish eligibility to apply for F, M, or J classification. They do not override Proclamation 10998.
What if the student had a valid visa on January 1, 2026?
A student who held a valid visa at 12:01 a.m. EST on the effective date falls outside the proclamation’s stated scope. The visa must still be currently usable for travel.
Can a dual national qualify?
Yes, when the student is a genuine dual national and applies and travels on a valid passport issued by a non-designated country.
Can a university request a national-interest exception?
The school can provide critical evidence and advocate through the appropriate process, but the authorized government official decides whether the individual travel serves a U.S. national interest.
What makes a student case nationally important?
Possible factors include government-funded research, public health, critical technology, infrastructure, workforce needs, government programs, unique expertise, and time-sensitive institutional obligations.
Can a student already in the United States travel abroad?
Travel may be possible, but departure can create a new visa and reentry problem. A student with expired visa, covered nationality, SEVIS issue, OPT, or pending application should obtain case-specific review first.
Are F, M, and J applicants subject to social-media review?
Yes. The State Department states that student and exchange visitor applicants in these classifications are subject to online-presence review.
Does a proclamation exception waive INA §214(b) or INA §212(e)?
No. Nonimmigrant intent, visa eligibility, inadmissibility, and the J-1 two-year home-residence requirement remain separate.
Does an approved exception guarantee entry?
No. The applicant must receive the visa, complete screening, maintain valid SEVIS and program documents, and obtain admission from CBP.
Is the Harvard student proclamation still active?
Proclamation 10948 stated that it would expire six months after June 4, 2025 absent extension. No official extension was identified in the sources reviewed through August 3, 2026, so it is treated here as expired and archived.
Related Guides
Continue With the Guide Matching the Student Case
Presidential Proclamations
Current restrictions, INA §212(f), visa classes, exceptions, procedures, and archived rules.
Current U.S. Travel Restrictions
Country lists, visa classes, issuance pauses, bonds, screening, and operational changes.
Proclamation Exceptions
Scope exclusions, LPRs, dual nationals, official travelers, athletes, SIVs, and national interest.
Proclamation Waiver
National-interest standards, evidence, procedure, decision makers, and reconsideration.
Valid Visa Exception
Effective-date protection, expiration, revocation, cancellation, and return travel.
Dual-National Exception
Passport choice, nationality evidence, visa placement, airline records, and CBP inspection.
Travel Ban Lawyer
Coverage analysis, exception strategy, consular advocacy, layered restrictions, and travel risk.
Student Visa Abuse
Enrollment, attendance, unauthorized work, status violations, misrepresentation, and admissibility.
J-1 INA §212(e) Waiver
Two-year home residence, Skills List, government funding, IGA, hardship, and persecution.
Student Visa Denied
INA §214(b), funding, program credibility, intent, screening, and reapplication.
INA §221(g) Administrative Processing
Security screening, technical research, missing documents, delay, and follow-up.
Visa Cancelled at Airport
CBP inspection, school and work questions, withdrawal, expedited removal, and future travel.
Primary Authorities
Official Proclamation, State Department, SEVP, and Exchange Program Sources
National Student and Exchange Visitor Restriction Counsel
Protect the Student’s Status, Program, Funding, and Ability to Return Before International Travel
A strong student case begins with the exact proclamation scope, valid-visa and passport history, SEVIS and program eligibility, and every available categorical exception. When discretionary relief is necessary, the university or sponsor should connect this individual’s timely presence to a concrete United States interest and document why remote study, deferral, or substitution is inadequate.
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