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Federal immigration officials revoked the visa of an unnamed international student attending a San Mateo County Community College District school, district officials announced in an email to staff Wednesday, April 9.
The student’s visa and I-20 certificate of eligibility were revoked due to alleged violations of visa terms, requiring the student to leave the country immediately, according to the district. The I-20 certificate verifies a student’s enrollment at an academic institution.
District officials discovered the revocation during a routine check of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program database. Officials now plan to review the database daily to “support international students proactively,” the email stated.
While other SMCCCD students have previously had visas revoked, this was the first time an I-20 certificate was also canceled, according to the email.
The district’s International Education program informed the affected student and connected them to on- and off-campus resources, the district said. The email did not specify which district school the student attended. International Student Program offices will hold information sessions for other international students in response.
As of Feb. 3, 2025, SMCCCD has 613 international students, comprising 3.5% of total enrollment. Myanmar is the most common home country for these students, followed by China and Nepal. International students pay $367 per unit in tuition, whereas San Mateo County residents do not pay tuition.
“We want to reiterate our deep commitment to all our students, from here and from abroad,” the email concluded.
Stanford University announced on April 4 that federal officials revoked visas for four current students and two recent graduates. Stanford, which also learned of the revocations during a routine SEVP database check, later indicated additional student visas had been revoked but did not provide further details. Stanford did not specify whether I-20 certificates were affected.
