An AI Doctoral Candidate in California Says They Had Their Student Visa Revoked
AI Researcher Faces Visa Termination Despite Clean Record
An anonymous AI doctoral student in California recently had their SEVIS record – the digital proof of valid student visa status – unexpectedly terminated. The student, who spoke to TechCrunch under condition of anonymity, received notification through their university’s international student center that they’d been flagged in a criminal records check.
Decade of Study Threatened by Visa Issues
The student has been studying in the U.S. for nearly ten years, beginning as an undergraduate before progressing to doctoral research in artificial intelligence. They maintain they have no criminal record, speculating the issue might stem from “an interaction with the police many years ago” before graduate school.
Widespread Visa Crackdown Impacts STEM Students
This case emerges amid a broader visa revocation campaign affecting over 1,000 international students across U.S. institutions. The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies have targeted students at:
- Ivy League universities
- Large public colleges
- Small liberal arts schools
AI Screening System May Cause Errors
Immigration attorney Adam Crayk revealed the government appears to be using AI-powered screening tools to evaluate visa holders without proper human verification. This automated approach has led to questionable revocations, including cases based on minor infractions like traffic violations.
Academic and Economic Consequences
Yisong Yue, a machine learning professor at Caltech, warns these policies are damaging America’s AI talent pipeline. “When a doctoral student is pulled from a project, it can set back research by months or years,” Yue told TechCrunch.
The impact extends beyond academia:
- International students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023-2024
- They supported over 378,000 American jobs
- Many foundational AI breakthroughs came from visa-holding researchers
Legal Challenges Emerge
A Georgia judge recently issued a temporary restraining order protecting about 100 affected students, though this represents just a fraction of impacted cases. Some students, like Brigham Young University’s Suguru Onda, have had visas mysteriously reinstated after legal action.
Broader Implications for Tech Industry
The situation has created anxiety among foreign-born researchers at top universities and tech companies like OpenAI and Google. As Yue notes, “The cumulative effect is making the U.S. a significantly less appealing destination for many talented researchers” – a troubling trend as global competition for AI talent intensifies.